William Joseph Hall

1929 - 2022

William Joseph Hall
Born: May 31, 1929 in Caraway, AR
Died: August 7, 2022 in Ottawa, IL
William Joseph "Bill" Hall, of Peru, passed away on August 7, 2022, at the age of 93.
A Celebration of Life will be held Friday, September 9, 2022, at the Mueller Funeral Home in Peru. Visitation will begin at 10:00 AM with a memorial service to begin at 11:00 AM with Pastor Tom Redig of St. John's Lutheran Church, Peru, officiating. Interment will follow in the Peru City Cemetery with full military rites conducted by the Peru Veterans Memorial Group.
Bill was born May 31, 1929, in Caraway, Arkansas, to Homer and Allie (Hollis) Hall. He had an enduring passion for music that became his life's work for fifty years. Bill's calling in life was to create and spread the beauty of music.
In high school, Bill performed in several choirs, musicals, and madrigals, often having solos. It was no surprise that Bill graduated with a degree in music education from Southern Illinois University. Bill served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He was a bandsman, playing trumpet in the 44th Infantry Division Band and served as chaplain's assistant.
After serving in the Army, Bill obtained a Master of Music degree from Northwestern University School of Music. Soon after graduation, his extensive and influential career as a singer and choral director began. He sang with the Milwaukee Bel Canto Choir, The Chicago Symphony Choir, and professionally with the St. James Cathedral Choir in Chicago.
His first post graduate position was choir director at Nathan Hale High School in West Allis, Wisconsin. It was during this time that he met and was smitten with Patricia Monaghan, his bride-to-be. They were married August 12, 1961, and were together nearly sixty-one years.
A master organizer and promoter, Bill created and advanced music programs in every community and position he held. He actively recruited students to his choirs, increasing their numbers. He initiated voice classes, organized concerts for galleries, and wrote new courses of study for teaching humanities.
In the fall of 1968, Bill and his family moved to the Illinois Valley where he accepted a position at Illinois Valley Community College. He directed choir and chamber singers, taught music appreciation, music theory and voice lessons, and founded a long-running and popular Madrigal Dinner. In addition, Bill was fine arts department chair, and developed the first concert and lecture series to perform at the new cultural center.
Bill and his wife, Pat, had three children. They were a great joy in Bill's life. He was an involved parent, overseeing their music education, providing music lessons, driving them to school and making Saturday morning French toast.
Bill was a favorite Uncle and Grandpa. He had an unusually close relationship with his grandkids, helping to oversee their music education and attending as many of their events as he could.
Although Bill's primary passion was music, he had other interests. He was a voracious reader throughout his life. He also enjoyed woodworking, gardening, and cooking.
The depth of Bill's influence on his students and family was immeasurable. His presence and influence lives on in each member of his family. We will miss his easy smile and bright blue eyes. He will always be with us. His, was a life well-lived.
Bill is survived by his wife, Patricia; a daughter, Elizabeth (Ralph Poore) Twardowski of Bloomington; two sons, William (Sharon Herman) Hall II of St. Johns, FL and James (Dr. Kim Radek) Hall of LaSalle. He is also survived by five grandchildren, Kristen Twardowski, Amanda (Shiva) Horiuchi, Brit Hall, William Hall III, and Gianna Hall. In addition, he is survived by a brother-in-law, Robert (Mary Ann) Moraga of Placitas, NM, and many nieces and nephews of whom he was very fond.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents and two sisters, Mary Ann (Robert) Moraga and Lois Jean (Clarence) Black.
Memorials can be made to the Parkinson's Foundation and the Illinois Valley Symphony Orchestra.
The online guestbook may be viewed and remembrances shared at www.MuellerFH.com.