Ruth Linnea Hallas

HALLAS, Ruth Linnea. Of Durham, North Carolina passed away at Croasdaile Village Pavilion September 1, 2025. She was 98 years old. Linn was born February 15, 1927, in Colorado to Swedish farmers Frank and Esther (née Mansson) Jonasson (Johnson). She began her life in Kiowa, Colorado but by the age of 13, she left home for Denver as an au pair for several families to support her schooling and her love of big cities. She graduated from Denver South High School in 1943 at 16 years old and attended college at the University of Denver.

After graduation, she moved to California and received a certification for teaching. She was hired by the Department of Defense to teach American military children in post-war Germany. That is where she met Gerald Hallas, a fighter pilot during WWII, then assigned to support what would become the Berlin Airlift. They married in 1951 at a civil ceremony in Rathaus Munich followed by a church wedding in Vienna. That began a three-decade career with many assignments throughout the world. Linn "managed the young squadron wives" while their husbands flew missions for US military operations.

She loved Jerry's ROTC assignments (Kansas & Miami (OH)) where she received graduate degrees in Education and became a guidance counselor at schools in Belleville, IL and Oxford, OH. Their last assignment was a 2-year stint at a Torrejon, Spain JROTC command. Linn used that as an excuse for their year-long travel odyssey of European capitals. Jerry and Linn retired to North Carolina eventually at the Croasdaile Village Retirement Community in Durham.

Linn is survived by her son Larry and wife Peggy of Sand Key, Florida, son Bob and Tina of Lawrenceburg, IN, grandchildren Lorien (Butler) & Eric, Matthew & Andrea Hallas, Valerie (Schroeder) & Adam as well as great-grandchildren, Reilly, Evan, Parker, Noelle and Asher. Linn will be buried alongside her husband of 57 years at Arlington National Cemetery, Washington, DC.

Linn and Jerry loved walking the grounds at Croasdaile and established a permanent greenspace that mom enjoyed after Jerry's passing. Expressions of sympathy may be made to the Hallas Nature Sanctuary, c/o Croasdaile Village, 2600 Croasdaile Farm Pkwy, Durham, NC 27705