Obituary of Samuel G. Hall

Samuel George Hall went Home to be with the Lord on Wednesday morning, August 7, 2024.

He was born on December 7, 1929 in Philadelphia to George and Elsa (Englehardt) Hall. His brother, George (Terry) was born in 1936. In 1938 at the age of 39, his mother, as well as his baby brother Joseph, died in childbirth.

Sam’s childhood and early years were spent in South Philadelphia. He attended Anthony Wayne Elementary School, Edwin Vare Junior High and John Bartram High School. He and his family were also members of an Episcopal church, the Memorial Chapel of the Holy Communion in South Philadelphia. In addition to church services and Sunday School, the church was also a gathering place during the week for social activities as well as competitive basketball and baseball teams in the South Philadelphia Church League. Sam was a talented athlete and loved participating on these teams. Friendships formed from the Sunday School classes and sports teams lasted Sam’s whole life.

In January 1947, he graduated from high school and began working at the South Philadelphia National Bank. It was there that he met his future wife, Louise Marie Bailey. In January 1951, just after he turned 21, he enlisted in the US Navy and served his country on the USS Oberon, traveling to many places around the world. While on leave from the Navy, he and Louise were married on August 18, 1951. When he returned to civilian life, he and Louise bought a home in Sharon Hill and he resumed working at the bank (it was then called Central Penn) during the day and attended the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School (through the GI Bill) in the evening. He received a BA in Economics from Penn and then attended one year at Drexel for his MBA, but had to drop out to help Louise with their children: Brenda, Brian and Deborah (who was born with spina bifida). He attended summer school banking classes at Rutgers University; the University of Wisconsin, Madison; Bucknell University; and graduated from the American Institute of Banking in Philadelphia. He taught at the BAI University of Wisconsin summer school for three years after graduation, and stayed on as a counselor for another 14 years. Sam and Louise moved to a new home in Middletown Township in 1966. It was also when the family joined Middletown Presbyterian Church, where Sam served as an elder, treasurer, and Sunday School teacher. He retired from banking at age 60 after having served as Senior Vice President and then Vice President when Central Penn merged to form Meridian Bank. He obtained a certificate in paralegal work and also worked briefly with H&R Block doing taxes.

Sam had numerous hobbies throughout his life such as reading, playing the piano and ukulele, stamp collecting, researching family genealogy, and avidly following the Philadelphia sports teams. He also was a member of the George Bartram Masonic Lodge, Springfield. Sam loved the Lord and teaching His Word (for over 65 years he taught Sunday School, and also organized and led a Bible study/prayer time at work and during his years at the Wisconsin summer banking school), he was a prayer warrior, and he loved his family. Sam faithfully cared for his wife, who suffered from dementia prior to her death in 2013, and his daughter, Debbie, who died in 2015. He was also preceded in death by his brother in 2011.

He is survived by his daughter, Brenda (Mike) Sbraccia; son, Brian (Christine) Hall; grandchildren: Nicholas (Michelle) Hall; Jonathan (Ainsley) Sbraccia; Samantha (Martin) Mark; Jordan (Rona) Sbraccia; Julianna (Jia) Wen; and six great-grandchildren.

Visitation: Saturday, August 17th after 10:00AM at the Middletown Presbyterian Church, 273 S. Old Middletown Rd., Media, PA 19063.

Funeral Service: Saturday, August 17th at 11:00AM at the Church.

Interment with Military Honors at Middletown Presbyterian Churchyard.