JOHN FINBARR "JACK" HALL

Jack was born in Cork, Ireland to Bill and Maureen Hall. The family immigrated to California in December 1958, and settled in Fresno County, living in Firebaugh and Fresno. Jack attended St. Joseph's Elementary, Tenaya Jr. High School, Bullard High School, and Fresno State where he earned a B.A. in Business with an emphasis in accounting and was a Beta Alpha Psi member.

Above all else, Jack was a family man. His love and affection for his wife, Chris, their children, Liam and Rachel, and his extended Hall and Gomez families was limitless. Jack went to extraordinary efforts to attend nearly every significant event of Liam and Rachel's childhood, including countless soccer games from youth leagues through their high school and college matches. Jack especially loved their trips together to Ireland and Mexico, where they spent time with relatives and enjoyed their rich cultural heritage. His family was always amazed by Jack's incredible memory for detail and brought us to tears of laughter in his retelling of family stories.

Jack enjoyed a diverse and accomplished career. The first half, in agribusiness and education, gave him an invaluable breadth of knowledge and experience for the second half, which he spent in politics. He first spent eight years working alongside his father in the office of a Firebaugh-based farming business, followed by nearly a decade as Fiscal Analyst for the State Center Community College District. He continued his public service by moving into politics in 2000, when he joined the administration of California Governor Gray Davis as Director of the Central Valley office and Agricultural Liaison. He later served as District Director for Congressman Jim Costa; as the Southern California Regional Coordinator for the Alliance for a Better California; Statewide Political Director for the California Faculty Association; and as head of his own firm, Central Valley Strategies. Since January of 2010, Jack had worked as a regional Director of Government Affairs for Comcast Cable.

At the time of his death, Jack was serving as Chairman of the Fresno Chamber of Commerce. He previously served as a Board Member and President of The Big Fresno Fair and belonged to numerous community organizations and business associations. Throughout his career, Jack was especially known for his ability to work with and build lasting relationships with everyone he met.

Jack's passions included aviation, sports cars, politics, and athletics. He could identify and describe every style of commercial airliner and describe the plane used on every flight he ever took. Jack loved to drive, especially behind the wheel of a Porsche. He read and memorized maps the way others read books. His keen intellect found full expression in his political work, both as a volunteer and in his career, where his deep understanding and appreciation for California history and concern for its future guided his work. A gifted athlete, Jack was an avid skier and cyclist, and he excelled at every sport. He loved to point out that his hole-in-one happened while golfing with his uncle and namesake, the late Rev. Fr. Finbar Hall, so none could ever challenge his claim.

Jack is survived by his devoted wife, Christina Gomez Hall; son, Liam Hall; daughter, Rachel Hall; mother, Maureen Hall; mother-in-law, Dora Gomez Medina; sisters, Patricia Hall of Tucson, and Anne Hall of Denver; brothers, Kevin Hall of Fresno, Tom Hall of Las Vegas, Bill Hall of Fullerton, Vince Hall of San Diego, Eddy Gomez of San Jose; and many loving nieces, nephews, cousins and in-laws. Jack was loved beyond description, a love which he returned ten-fold. We see his smile, hear his laughter and feel those strong arms around us now and forever.

A Recitation of the Holy Rosary will be held at Whitehurst, Sullivan Burns & Blair Funeral Home on Wednesday, August 27, 2014, at 7:00 p.m.

A Funeral Mass will be held at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church on Thursday, August 28, 2014, at 10:00 a.m. Interment will follow at St. Peter's Cemetery.

Remembrances may be made to the American Cancer Society in Jack Hall's name by going to http://ow.ly/AD3RU.