John Robert "Bob" Hall

John Robert "Bob" Hall passed away peacefully on March 26, 2013 at the age of 89.

Bob was born October 21, 1923 in Boise, ID, where he spent his childhood with his parents, Walter and Ruth Hall and his sister Maxine. He spent many summers on his uncle's farm and during high school he worked as a mechanic and gas station attendant, nurturing his curiosity of how things work and his love of backyard mechanics. He attended Boise High School and joined in the Navy after graduation. Because of his high recruitment aptitude test scores, the Navy sent him to college. He graduated from University of New Mexico as an electrical engineer in 1946 and returned to Boise.
In the late 1940's Bob worked with his uncle in Alaska, maintaining and repairing railroad radios for a mining company. During this time he met his future wife on a visit home to Boise. Bob and Dorothy Cox were married on June 14th, 1950. Shortly after their marriage, the couple settled in Idaho Falls, ID and Bob began his lifelong engineering career with Westinghouse. He joined the emerging nuclear industry as part of the reactor design team for the first nuclear submarine, the USS Nautilus. The couple also began a family while living in Idaho Falls. They enjoyed the outdoors and camping at the nearby hot springs and area forests. His love of the outdoors, highly analytical mind and desire to make things, led Bob to design and build his own camper.
The family moved to Bremerton in 1968 where Bob refueled nuclear powered submarines and ships at the naval shipyard. They continued to camp, spending most weekends along the Washington and Oregon coast, rain or shine. In 1973, the family settled in Kennewick where Bob worked on the construction and operation of the Fast Flux Test facility until his retirement in 1984.
Bob spent his free time in many varied activities. He loved square dancing and, as long as his health allowed, spent several nights a week dancing. He never lost his passion for mechanics and was always rebuilding, repairing, or just modifying things to improve them in his unique way. He spent several winters snowbirding in his homemade camper with
Dorothy and later, on his own in Yuma and Las Vegas.
He was caring and compassionate but a somewhat reserved man. He felt a strong obligation to his family and was concerned for their well-being. He liked spending time with family and helping them with their projects. He was a people person and liked meeting and talking to everyone, making many friends in the neighborhood and community. He was genuinely interested in people's lives and enjoyed helping others.
He was preceded in death by his wife of 55 years, Dorothy. He is survived by three children and their spouses, Stephen and Tammy Hall, Teresa Hall and Rick Drangmeister and Donna and Scott Conley and five grandchildren John, Robyn, Drew, Luke and Beth and greatgrandson Aaron. He is also survived by his sister, Maxine Scott and nephew John Scott.
A simple grave-side service will be held on April 12th at 1:00 P.M. at Riverview Heights Cemetery in Kennewick at the corner of Olympia and 10th. Friends and family will then gather to celebrate his life at the home of his daughter.