Rev. Samuel Leslie Hall
Reverend Samuel Leslie Hall, 92 years old, an Episcopal Church priest, died Tuesday, September 21, 2021. His death was a beautiful vigil, with some family members and friends at his bedside who were wonderfully and lovingly cared for by Roadrunner -Hospice.
He was born on December 23, 1928 in San Francisco. In death he was preceded by his parents Iris Gerow Hall and John Leslie Hall, both of whom grew up near Hanford in California’s Central Valley. Sam got to know some wonderful restaurants in San Francisco at a young age: Vanessi’s, Blue Fox, Jack’s. Later in Southern California, Lowry’s, Tail of the Cock, and Mike
Lymans. He had happy and delectable memories of her.
They moved to Beverly Hills, where he graduated from Beverly Hills High School in 1947. There he received the Spanish Prize of Honor, which was awarded nationally to the outstanding Spanish students, and gave his acceptance speech in Spanish. This language became a lifelong love, and for the past few years he has read the Spanish-language Reforma newspaper, a Mexico City newspaper, every day.
Sam graduated from UC Berkeley in 1951 with a BA in history (minor in political science) and spent another year at graduate school studying history and education. Then he went to UCLA for an additional postgraduate degree in history. In 1953, after a summer in post-war Europe (Germany, Netherlands, France and England), he worked on an MA in Divinity in preparation for ordination in the Episcopal Church at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley. He married Katherine Goode in 1954, then moved in for the second and third year
Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia.
He was ordained a deacon and priest in St. Edmunds Church in San Marino, California in 1957 by Bishop Francis Eric Bloy.
In 1959 Sam became vicar and then rector of St. Stephen’s in Whittier, CA for 6 years, interrupted by a sabbatical year in Canterbury England (1965), where he and his family loved everything British. Upon his return, he was called to St. Luke’s in Long Beach, CA (1967), where he stayed until 1974 when he became chaplain at the Hospital of the Good Samaritan in Los Angeles.
In 1976 he met and married Leila Tunis Niven on his birthday, December 23rd, and they went on their honeymoon in Moorea, Tahiti.
He had four children from his first marriage: Katherine Leslie Hall Kelton (Skull Valley, AZ) Geoffrey Stephen Hall (Long Beach, CA), Stuart Samuel Edward Hall of Malibu, CA (Lisa and twins Kate and Sophia), and David Lawrence Hall (Pete Leon) of Washington, DC He added three stepchildren to his second marriage: Douglas Van Cott Niven, Edward Bradford Niven, and Laura Bonsall Niven, all from the Bay Area. All very loved by him and loved by them.
In 1987 Sam and Leila moved to Albuquerque New Mexico; he joined The Rev. Brian Taylor at St. Michael and All Angels Church, where he spent 10 rewarding years. He retired in 2000 and, with a gift from the Church, celebrated the event by making another trip to the South Pacific, this time to Western Samoa and Fiji.
In the first years of their marriage they toured Japan, Thailand, Nepal, Hong Kong, Spain and France (Alsace) and many trips to Mexico, which he loved particularly; they made three trips to Great Britain: Scotland (Iona and Cleish), a beautiful village, Oxted; and for Leslie’s marriage to Andrew Kelton.
When Douglas Niven finally married Saowalak Taruvan in Chiang Rai, Thailand, Sam and Leila joined the wedding party and were also able to visit Laos and Burma briefly.
After living in the North Valley of Los Ranchos for 26 years, Sam and Leila moved to La Luz, on
the Westside, where they made many new friends. In the past two or three years, Sam found it
harder to move around until the last four weeks he got sick. Sam had wonderful laughs and wit and a great fondness for English bulldogs, of which he had many.
He was grateful for so many dear friends: longtime friend Dr. Bruce Larson from Los Angeles; and Rev. Joe Britton, Rev. Susan Allison-Hatch, of St. Michael; Maggi Petton and especially Dr. Jim Tryon, who was with him until the end. Sam could call each of his children and stepchildren just hours before he died to tell them how much he loved them. Next to them he leaves his beloved wife Leila, who is almost 45 years old.
Memorial services at St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church on October 23, 2021, time to be announced.
Published by on September 26, 2021.
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