James Keith Hall

James Keith Hall was born in Lima, Ohio on December 23, 1942, the second child of Ralph and Ila Hall. He had an older brother, Dean, and younger sister, Rosalie. He enjoyed growing up in the small rural community of Lafayette, hunting, fishing, working on farms and participating in sports and music in school. He graduated from Heidelberg College in Tiffin, Ohio, in 1964, with majors in physics and mathematics. At Heidelberg he played varsity baseball and basketball, and was president of the senior class.

Sargent Shriver, brother-in-law of President Kennedy, personally invited Jim to go to Ethiopia as a Peace Corps teacher in 1964. He taught 8th – 11th grade science and math in Ambo, Ethiopia, for two years. He married Peace Corps member Judith Ann Vallender from Beaverton, Michigan, in Ambo and Addis Ababa in March and April of 1965. [you’d have to ask]

After returning to the United States in 1966, they lived, worked and went to school in Columbus, Ohio while he took pre-med classes and she taught in the Columbus Public Schools. He graduated from The Ohio State University medical school in 1972 with a M. D. degree. Son James Ralph was born on August 2, 1969. Hall was further educated in a Family Practice resident program for three years in Akron, Ohio. Son David Matthew was born on August 1, 1973.

He and Ann explored Ohio and Michigan to find a place to live and work the rest of their lives. They wanted a small town that would never become a suburb, with excellent schools, a strong medical program with general practice and specialty doctors, and a college with good ties with the community. They found their home in Alma and became residents in 1975, when he joined Alma Family Practice with Drs. Jack Stack and Indira Saxena. He formed Gratiot Family Practice with Dr. Larry Maugel in 1978. Drs. Vicki Chessin, Gregg Stefanek, Chris Murray, P.A.s Troy Novak and Deb Breen and Nurse Practioner Lisa Bigelow joined the practice over later years. He continued to be employed by Gratiot Family Practice until now.

Daughter Elizabeth Anne was born May 11, 1979. All three children were raised in Alma. James graduated from Hope College and Beth/Eli and David graduated from Western Michigan University. James and wife Maureen and their two sons live and work in Lansing. David and his partner Holly and his son are currently traveling from Arizona to live and work in Michigan. Eli is moving this week from Chicago to St. Paul, Minnesota and will complete her Masters degree in International Public Service from DePaul University this fall.

He was a family practice doctor in the mid-Michigan area from 1975 until now. He served in many administrative capacities as part of the Alma hospital (named several different ways over the years), including being Chief of Staff in 1993-1995. He frequently worked shifts in the hospital emergency room over the many years until now. He became the Medical Administrator of Masonic Pathways two years ago.

His practice of medicine touched many many lives in our community over the past 35 years. Over a thousand babies gave their first cry in his hands and uncounted folks breathed their last as he held their hand and comforted their families. He was widely and highly regarded as a capable, carrying, compassionate and hard working man and medical doctor.

During his many years in the mid-Michigan area, he was active in many social and service organizations including: Alma Symphony Board, Habitat for Humanity, the Alma-St. Louis Rotary Club, the Midstatesmen Barbershop Chorus, the First Presbyterian Church, the Gratiot County American Red Cross, Alma College, the Alma Area Used Book Sale Group, Gleaners and many others. He coached little league, worked with Boy Scouts, and went on mission trips to Honduras, and to Mississippi two years after Hurricane Katrina. He was named the Order of the Tartan awardee in 1997. He was a several times Paul Harris Fellow. He and his family traveled to Nigeria for one month in 1989 with an Alma College class. He traveled with a family group to Cameroon to visit his son James who was there two years as a Peace Corps teacher.

His lifelong love of singing is reflected by his singing in his church choir, the many barbershop quartets of which he has been a member, his leadership in the local barbershop chorus, membership in the Lansing chorus and most recently participated in the Harmony Brigade. He has performed in several Gratiot County Players musicals.

He has served as an elder, deacon and many other ways as a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Alma. He has participated in several local mission and educational programs.

His brother Dean (Darlene) of Lima, Ohio and his sister Rosalie (Roger) of Vermillion, Ohio and his 95 year old uncle Giles are close family members, with three nephews and a niece. He has many in-law relatives through his wife’s eleven brothers and sisters and their families. His 90-year-old mother-in-law has lived at the family home for seventy years in Beaverton, Michigan. Jim and Ann Hall have many “chosen” family members, including Svitlana Kobzar, from Ukraine, who lived with them for four years while attending Alma College and has recently earned her PhD from Cambridge University in International Politics. Lynne Ludy of Alma, Bob Lombard of Phoenix, Arizona, and Karen Smith of Alma and Tucson, Arizona are also chosen members of the Hall family. Many other community members also are considered part of his greater family.

James Keith Hall died Friday, July 23, 2010, in Lake Michigan west of Ludington when a medical flight plane enroute to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota malfunctioned and crashed.

He will be greatly missed.

In lieu of flowers the family suggests contributions to any of Jim’s service/activity organizations listed below or a charity of the donor's choice.

The First Presbyterian Church of Alma, the Midstatesmen Barbershop Chorus, the medical community of the local hospital (by several names), the American Red Cross in Gratiot County, Alma College, the Alma Symphony Board, Habitat for Humanity, the Alma-St. Louis Rotary Club, the Alma Area Used Book Sale Group, Gleaners.