Gene R. Hall

Gene R. Hall, resident of Santa Cruz. Gene Hall died Sept. 1, 2011, at Fletcher Lake/Vogelsang High Sierra Camp in Yosemite, Calif., from heart related complications. Gene was born in Fort Smith, Ark., and attended Fort Smith Public Schools. He graduated from University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, with BS and MS degrees in mathematics. He received a PhD in mathematics from University of California, Berkeley. Gene worked as a systems engineer in the Silicon Valley in the aerospace industry for Lockheed, Ford Aerospace, ESL, GTE, and eventually retired from Lockheed. He married Karen Laing 27 years ago, and lived in Santa Cruz, Calif., until retiring and moving to Olympia, Wash., four years ago to be near family and grandchildren. Besides his family, hiking and mountains were one of Gene's main loves in life. He enjoyed the Mount Everest and Annapurna areas of Nepal as well as US National Parks. He was a man of many interests who dearly loved birding and spoiled his cats. Gene is predeceased by his parents, Ruby Sexton Hall and Lloyd Hall, and his first wife, Linda Owens Hall. He is survived by his wife Karen Laing Hall, his daughters Lucie Hall of Santa Cruz, Calif., and Karen Hall of Fort Smith, his stepsons Robert Morin and Justin Laing, his granddaughters Audra Morin and Maya Laing, and grandson Sebastian Laing. He is also survived by his brother Ronald Hall and sister Cindy Hall Clenney, and a number of nieces, nephews, and cousins. There will be a memorial service later in Fort Smith, Ark., and a puja (Buddhist) ceremony later in the Mount Everest area with Sherpa friends. His family and friends will miss this loving, hardworking, warmhearted, and intelligent man for the rest of our lives. In lieu of flowers we suggest contributions to Yosemite Search and Rescue (YOSAR) or Feline Friends of Olympia, Wash., (cat rescue). Please remember one of Gene's rules of living - "Never postpone a vacation."