Samuel Leslie Hall

1928 - 2021

Rev. Samuel Leslie Hall



The Rev. Samuel Leslie Hall, age 92, a priest of the Episcopal Church, died on Tuesday, September 21, 2021. His passing was a beautiful vigil, with some family and friends at his bedside, receiving wonderful, loving care from them and Roadrunner Hospice.

He was born on December 23, 1928, in San Francisco. He was preceded in death by his parents, Iris Gerow Hall, and John Leslie Hall, both of whom grew up near Hanford in California's Central Valley. Sam was exposed to 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

Lyman's. He had happy and delicious memories of them.

They moved to Beverly Hills, where he graduated from Beverly Hills High School in 1947. There he received the Spanish Honor Award, given nationally to the outstanding Spanish student, and gave his acceptance speech in Spanish. That language became a lifelong love, and in recent years he read the Spanish language newspaper Reforma, a Mexico City newspaper, every day.

Sam graduated from UC Berkeley in 1951 with a BA in History (minor in Political Science), and he spent another year in graduate school there studying history and education. Then he went to UCLA for additional graduate studies in history. In 1953, after a summer spent in postwar Europe (Germany, Netherlands, France and England), he worked on an MA in Divinity in preparation for ordination in the Episcopal Church at Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley. He married Katherine Goode in 1954, then moved for second and third year to

Virginia Theological Seminary in Alexandria, Virginia.

There followed his ordination to the diaconate and priesthood in 1957 at St. Edmunds Church San Marino, CA by Bishop Francis Eric Bloy.

In 1959, Sam became vicar then rector at St. Stephen's in Whittier, CA for 6 years, interrupted by a sabbatical year in Canterbury England (1965), where he and his family loved all things British. Upon return, he was called to St. Luke's in Long Beach, CA (1967) where stayed until 1974 when he became Chaplain at Hospital of the Good Samaritan in Los Angeles.

In 1976, he met and married Leila Tunis Niven on his birthday, December 23, and they honeymooned 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, D.C. He added three stepchildren: Douglas Van Cott Niven, Edward Bradford Niven and Laura Bonsall Niven, all of the Bay Area, with his second marriage. All much 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 celebrated that event with a gift from the church, taking a trip to the South Pacific again, this time Western Samoa and Fiji.

During the early years of their marriage they travelled to Japan, Thailand, Nepal, Hong Kong, Spain and France (Alsace) and many trips to Mexico, which he especially loved; they took three trips to the UK: Scotland (Iona and Cleish), a wonderful village, Oxted; and for the marriage of Leslie to Andrew Kelton.

Finally, when Douglas Niven married Saowalak Taruvan in Chiang Rai, Thailand, Sam and Leila joined the wedding party and were able to also briefly visit Laos and Burma.

After living in the North Valley of Los Ranchos for 26 years, Sam and Leila moved to La Luz, on

the Westside, where they found many new friends. In the last two or three years, Sam found it

more difficult to get around, until the last four weeks in which he fell ill. Sam had a wonderful laugh and wit, and great fondness for English Bulldogs of which he had many.

He was grateful for so many dear friends: long-time friend Dr. Bruce Larson of Los Angeles; and The Rev. Joe Britton, The Rev. Susan Allison-Hatch, of St. Michael's; Maggi Petton, and especially, Dr. Jim Tryon who was with him until the end. Sam was able to call each of his children and stepchildren to tell them how much he loved them, just hours before his death. Besides them he leaves his beloved wife of nearly 45 years, Leila.

Memorial Services at St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church on October 23, 2021, time to be announced.