Dr. William Bartlett (Bill) Hall died at age 88 on June 16, 2014, in Moscow, Idaho. He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on July 12, 1925, and was preceded in death by his parents, Rufus and Frances Hall; his siblings, Joseph and Margaret Hall; and his wife, Elizabeth (Liz) Hall. Bill graduated from Princeton, the Universities of Cincinnati and Wyoming, and received his doctorate in geology. He served in the army in World War II.
Bill married Elizabeth Campbell Carson, also from Cincinnati, and the newly married couple moved west. Daughters Molly and Patsy were born in Wyoming, and son David was born in Montana, where Bill taught geology for several years at Montana Tech in Butte (then Montana School of Mines). In 1965 the Hall family moved to Moscow, Idaho, where Bill taught at the University of Idaho for several decades. He also spent many summers doing fieldwork and leading graduate students in the Madison Range and Gallatin Valley in Montana where the family enjoyed summers at a ranch. Later Bill and the family and friends spent summers at Lake Powell, Utah.
Bill remained in touch with many of his university colleagues and former graduate students throughout his life. He had a lifelong interest in photography, a hobby begun in childhood and later expanded to aerial photography for his classes. Bill was an expert in geologic field mapping and aerial photo interpretation - including his COSA (Color Oblique Stereo Aerial) photos taken from a small plane. He and Liz learned SCUBA diving, and they were both very interested in natural history and the environment. They enjoyed taking long trips in New Zealand almost yearly spanning several decades and traveled to other places with a focus on experiencing natural beauty and wildlife. Bill was known for his dry sense of humor, his love of animals, cherry pie and chocolate malts.
Bill and Liz were married for 57 years. Liz passed away in 2008, but Bill is survived by his children, David Hall of Moscow, Idaho; Patsy King of Williams, Oregon; and Molly Hall of Kapaa, Hawaii; his grandchildren, Brian (and his wife, Dormae) and Daniel King; and his great grandchild, Douglas William King (age 5 months). Bill was pleased to meet his great grandson last month.
A celebration of life for Dr. Hall will be announced at a future date. Memorial contributions in his honor are suggested to the Nature Conservancy, Natural Resources Defense Council or local environmental organization.
