Richard Hall

Richard was born to Ruth and John Hall on April 12, 1939, in Northampton, Massachusetts. After World War II ended, his family moved into Quarters B on the grounds of the Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C., where as a boy he built model airplanes and sailed his small boats on the Capitol reflecting pool, and searched for his dog on the 72 acres of the observatory grounds. His maternal grandmother, who came to live with the family, taught him valuable mending skills, which he used all his life, and traditional aphorisms such as, "A bird in hand is worth two in the bush." He had the opportunity to attend Sidwell Friends School, where each day he read on the blackboard, "A word to the wise is sufficient."

When Richard's father was given the assignment to set up a branch of the Naval Observatory near Flagstaff, the family moved west to clearer skies and better astronomical viewing. During Richard's years at Amherst College (B.S. 1960 in biophysics), and the University of Indiana (Ph. D. 1965 in astronomy), his family lived on Mars Hill, where his father was the director of Lowell Observatory.

Richard began his career in 1965 as NAU's first astronomy professor, teaching a class called Man in Space and holding night labs on the roof of the chemistry building each week. After thirty-six years of teaching astronomy and physics, he retired in 2001. He was always an outdoor guy, viewing the sky, planting his crops and berry bushes in the spring, and running/bicycling/swimming whenever he could. He entered many competitions, from 5K races and triathlons to a Phoenix marathon. He was a creative woodworker, building a house for his family, and furniture, and boats for rowing and sailing.

From his earliest days in the U.S. Capitol he took an interest in national politics, becoming a lifelong reader of the New York Times. Science magazine was also a favorite of his, along with Wooden Boat magazine and Sky & Telescope. TV news and commentary kept him in touch with the world, especially in his later years.

Richard thoroughly disliked getting old; he wanted the independence to go out walking in all sorts of weather. And so it was that in late January, 2024 (while his normally attentive wife was away at a book club meeting), he took a walk in the freezing rain, slipped on an icy patch, and broke his neck. After spending a week in the intensive care unit of the hospital, he passed on February 1 with family by his side. He is survived by his wife Jane, his son Ian (Stephanie), his daughter Adrienne, his grandchildren Jeffrey, Kieffer, and Quinlan, his sister Carolyn (Dick), their daughter Tami (Mark), their son Scott, and their grandchildren Jack and Eric.

We have pondered holding a celebration of life sometime later in the spring when the weather warms up. In memory of Richard, we suggest that you go outside, become acquainted with the rocks and bushes and trees in your area, plant some vegetables-and on a clear, moonless night, look up at the stars.