Julia Hall

Born November 6, 1933, Julia Lange Hall died peacefully in her home of 53 years, on December 10, 2016 at the age of 83. She was surrounded by her three devoted children Martha (Sam Bousfield), Kerry (Shauna Scott) and Alison (Brad Gann). Julie attended Swarthmore High School near Philadelphia and later attended and graduated from Swarthmore College. There she met and fell in love with J. Parker Hall III. They married in 1956 and settled in Winnetka. Julie's exceptional marriage to Parker and her lifelong commitment as a loving, creative and energetic mother, were an inspiration to all who knew her. A progressive leader who dedicated her life to education, Julie held various teaching and administrative positions at North Shore Country Day School before becoming the first female Head of School in 1992. There she led with wisdom, heart and a profound and visionary commitment to educating children. While under her assured guidance, the school enjoyed a significant improvement in enrollment, endowment and community spirit. After 23 years at North Shore, she retired in 2000. Julie's support of the school endured, with grandchildren and North Shore graduates Marissa and Riley Hall most fondly remembering her encouraging presence at innumerable sporting events and theater performances. Julie treasured the outdoors and was an avid traveler. She and husband Parker camped and canoed with the family at every available opportunity, from nearby Door County, Wisconsin to locations further afield, including Colorado, the Quetico, and hikes in Western Canada. Family gatherings in Maine and Mississippi were traditions that brought her great joy. Locally, Julie enjoyed the majestic oaks and her extensive garden which flourished under her watchful eye. The dandelions never stood a chance. A lifelong educator and learner, Julie served on the Board of Trustees at Swarthmore College and the University of Chicago Lab School. For over 30 years she was an active member of two book clubs while participating in OLLI literature classes at Northwestern University until age 83. Blessed with a limitless reservoir of curiosity, Julie was an avid reader of prose and poetry, with favorite authors including Emily Dickinson and Shakespeare. These greats inspired her own innate artistry, which she expressed in essays and memoirs. Her students, children and grandchildren knew her as a spellbinding storyteller. Along with her husband Parker, the couple lent their time and support to a variety of causes, including the Ravinia Festival, The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, and the Nature Conservancy. Honored for their service and generosity over the years, Julie and Parker together received the University of Chicago's Medal of Honor, the ACLU's Roger Baldwin Award, and North Shore Country Day School's Foster Hannaford Recognition. Julie truly embodied the motto of North Shore Country Day School: Live and Serve. She was a loving and engaged grandmother of her eight grandchildren: Lindsey Wehr (Coree); Russell Bousfield; Whitney Meldrum (Austin); Marissa and Riley Hall; and Cole, Jameson, and Silas Gann. Julie is also survived by her two younger siblings Jonnie (Nancy) and Josie. A joyful optimist at heart, Julie exuded grace, thoughtfulness and gratitude, her Quaker roots no doubt a wellspring for these qualities. She put life and beauty into everything she did. Julie will be profoundly missed. An open house memorial reception will be held at her home for friends and former colleagues Friday, December 16 from 3-7 p.m. Please come by any time during the reception; her children will welcome your presence and reminiscences. Her extended family will gather for a memorial service and burial of her ashes at a family cemetery in Mississippi in the spring. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Chicago Shakespeare Theater (800 E. Grand Ave., Chicago, IL 60611), the Nature Conservancy (8 S. Michigan Ave., Suite 900, Chicago, IL 60603) or the Roger Baldwin Foundation of the ACLU (180 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 2300, Chicago, IL 60601).