Harber H. Hall

1920 - 2020

Hall, Harber H.
Sep 24, 1920 - Feb 22, 2020
Longboat Key---Harber Homer Hall, 99, of Bloomington, IL and Longboat Key, FL, passed away at 9 p.m. on February 22, 2020 at The Windsor of Lakewood Ranch Senior Living Facility in Lakewood Ranch. FL. Senator Hall will be laid to rest in the family plot in Park Hill Cemetery. A celebration of Harber's life will be announced at a later date. Memorials may be made to Second Presbyterian Church, Bloomington. Harber was born September 24, 1920 in Chicago, the son of Harry Homer Hall and Dorothy Harber. Surviving are his son, John S. Hall (Julie) of Orion, Illinois and his daughter, Heather (Greg) Shepard, Lakewood Ranch, Florida; brother, Harry H. "Bud" Hall (Janie); nephew, Hudson Harber Hall, and niece Holly Hall Rickert all of Bloomington; and 3 grandchildren, Jennifer (Chris) Edwards, Harrison Harber Shepard and Gregory M. Shepard, Jr.; and 2 great granddaughters, Emily and Abigail Edwards. He was preceded in death by his parents; and one sister Janice Hall Badillo of Dallas, Oregon. At age five, Harber moved to Bloomington and attended Washington Grade School. He worked on his grandfather Judge Homer William Hall's three successful campaigns as a republican candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in 1927, 1929 and 1931. He developed a life-long love of politics from his grandfather in those campaigns. He began high school at Bloomington High School and then he moved with his family to the south side of Chicago where he attended Hyde Park High School. 1 year later he moved to Moline where he attended Moline High School. Keeping ever on the move Harber attended Rock Island High School from where he graduated in 1938. 4 high schools in 4 years created a future successful politician. Harber later would remark "I know everyone my age in the State of Illinois because I went to high school with them". Harber attended the University of Miami in Miami, Florida majoring in business administration. Harber enlisted into the Armed Serves the day after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor to begin WWII. Initially Harber went to work at the Rock Island Arsenal and then the War Department in Washington D.C. In September 1943 he enrolled in the Army Air Corps and served his basic training in Santa Ana Army Air Base, in Santa Ana, CA. During WWII he was stationed primarily in Guam where he became a radar bombardier with one of two B29 squadrons located on the island. Harber flew 23 bombing missions over Japan. He was on the last bombing mission when the war officially ended. After WWII Harber re-enlisted in the Army Air Corps and then in 1947 and 1948 he attended pilot training at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, TX and advanced pilot training at Barksdale Air Force Base in Shreveport, Louisiana. In 1949 he was stationed at Lowry Air Force Base outside Denver, CO. Later he was stationed at Lindsey Air Station in Wiesbaden, Germany and Rhein-Main Rhein Air Base near Frankfurt, Germany from where he flew mercy missions on the Berlin Airlift. Harber was released from active duty from the Air Force in September 1954 with the rank of Lt. Colonel. He returned to Bloomington where he worked as the General Services Manager for Union Automobile Indemnity Association and then owned and operated a real estate brokerage firm. He and Bud Hall developed Crestwicke Country Club. In 1962, Harber, a Republican, was elected McLean County Treasurer, a position he held for 4 years. In 1966 he was elected to the Illinois House of Representatives, and re-elected in 1968 and 1970. In 1972, Harber was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in Miami and was elected to the State Senate 44th District. Harber was re-elected to the State Senate in 1976. He retired from the Senate in 1979. Harber had traveled all over the world and found Longboat Key to be the most beautiful. The love of his friends and tennis at Club Longboat was where he was the happiest. Harber was a true gentleman who treated everyone he met with kindness and respect. He was known for his quick wit and clever sense of humor which persisted through his final day. "Are you comfortable Harber?" "I make a decent living."
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