Lifelong Dothan resident James P. Hall, Sr. died on January 3, 2025.
Funeral services will be at First United Methodist Church on Friday, January 10, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. with Dr. David R. Saliba officiating and Glover Funeral Home directing. Visitation with the family will be in the parlor following the service. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First United Methodist Church at 1380 W. Main Street, Dothan, AL 36303.
Mr. Hall was born in Dothan on December 30, 1931, to Harry and Edith Hall. He attended Dothan City Schools and graduated from Dothan High School in 1950. One of his favorite childhood memories was when he had a pet alligator that he kept at home until it was too large to be around people. He attended Auburn University where he was a member of the Sigma Nu Fraternity. Jim decided to serve his country and joined the army where he served in the Panama Canal Zone. When he returned from the Army he attended the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania where he graduated with a B.S. degree in Economics.
He returned to Dothan to work in real estate with the Harry Hall Company and Hall-Diamond Real Estate. He wanted to try his hand at manufacturing, so he created Hall Plastics Co. manufacturing plastic components for furniture and home goods which he shipped all over the country. When the oil embargo of the 70’s made it impossible to find raw materials for plastics he started a career selling New York Life Insurance that he continued until his retirement in 2016. Jim loved golfing with the “Church Group” at the Dothan Country Club every week and had many cherished friends in that group. After being a golfer for most of his life, Jim decided to quit golf and try tennis, so he joined a tennis group at age 70 and played for many more years.
While he enjoyed his business and his sports, he loved his church. He was a dedicated member of First United Methodist Church for over 60 years. He served in many roles including as an usher until three years ago, a member of the Pathfinders Sunday School Class, United Methodist Men, Wednesday Morning Men’s Bible Study, Chairman of the Administrative Board, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and as a Sunday School teacher for over 20 years. Jim also served his larger church by working with the Alabama-West Florida Conference as Chairman of the District Board of Trustees for over 10 years and as District Lay Speaker Co-Coordinator. He served the Alabama-West Florida Conference as a member of the Alabama Methodist Homes for the Aging Board for 17 years.
Jim loved Dothan and served his city in many ways. Included in his civic contributions were his service as a Dothan City Commissioner, Dothan’s Police Commissioner, Chairman of the Organizing Committee and the 1st President of the Wiregrass Boys and Girls Club Board, service with the United Way as treasurer for five years and President for one. He was an active Rotarian for most of his adult life and loved this organization. He served on the Rotary Board of Directors and as President as well as other capacities with the Dothan Rotary Club. He was deeply honored when his fellow Rotarians made him a Paul Harris Fellow. Jim felt called to spread the good news of Jesus so he organized and worked for seven years to bring the Billy Graham Crusade to Dothan in 2017. For many years Jim would go to the Houston County Jail on Wednesday nights to preach the word of God to the inmates there and continued to receive letters from these men letting him know the impact his witness had on them and how they had turned their lives around. He worked with the Gideon’s in Dothan to distribute bibles all over this area. He loved to give people he met copies of Jesus Calling as a way to help others and to be a quiet witness. He gave copies of Jesus Calling to the people who helped take care of him right up to the end of his life. He truly loved going to Respite at FUMC during the latter years of his life. In a time when his activities were so limited, this was his favorite and something he looked forward to each day he would go.
Jim loved his wife of 58 years, Marion Grant Hall, his children and grandchildren, Auburn Football and Basketball but above all else, he loved the Lord, and he never forgot his responsibility to his savior Jesus.
He is preceded in death by his wife, Marion Grant Hall, his parents Harry P. Hall and Edith Cottingham Hall and his brother Robert Bruce Hall. He is survived by his sister Harriet Diamond (Chip) of Atlanta and his children Adam Grant Hall, (Melissa), of Newton, Harry Preston Hall II (Jenna) of Dothan, James Philip Hall Jr. of Hobbs, NM and Catherine Hall Kirpalani (Bob) of Birmingham. He is also survived by seven grandchildren: Ashley Logan (William), Lauren Hall, Courtney Hall, Mary Grant Hall, Preston Hall, Mitchell Barbaree and Grayson Barbaree as well as three great grandchildren: Jack Logan, Elizabeth Logan and Anna Logan.
His family would like to thank the staff of Henry County Nursing & Rehab as well as Southern Care Hospice for their amazing kindness and skill through this difficult time.
Glover Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements. (334) 699-3888. Please sign the guestbook online at www.gloverfuneral.com
