Dr. David Michael Hall

Dr. David Michael Hall

February 8, 2025

With profound sorrow, we share the passing of our beloved father, Dr. David Michael Hall, of Auburn, Alabama, on Saturday, February 8, 2025. He left us peacefully at home, surrounded by those he loved. His life was a beautiful testament to resilience, intellect, kindness, and above all, an unshakable love for his family.

David's early years were shaped by hardship, as he spent much of his childhood in Catholic orphanages. However, at the age of twelve, through God's grace, he was welcomed into a loving home on a farm in Chambers County, near LaFayette, Alabama. That farm and the community became his anchor, and he cherished it deeply throughout his life.

David was a gifted scholar. He graduated from Auburn University in 1958 with a Bachelor of Science in Textile Chemistry, supported by an Avondale Mills Scholarship. He served proudly as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Army Reserve and later retired as a full Colonel, with a strong sense of duty and honor. His thirst for knowledge led him to earn his master's degree from Clemson College in 1962, through a Celanese Corporation fellowship. Not content to stop there, he pursued a doctorate in Fiber and Polymer Chemistry at Victoria University of Manchester, England, which he completed in 1964. He furthered his research with a year at the Swiss Federal Institute in Zurich, Switzerland, thanks to a United States Department of Agriculture fellowship.

Through it all, David was never alone. He shared this incredible journey with his devoted wife, Florence Lorain Barrett Hall, whose love and unwavering support made every achievement even more meaningful. Together, they built a life full of discovery, adventure, and deep devotion to one another.

David returned to Auburn, where he and Florence raised their family. As a professor of Textile Engineering at Auburn University, he shared his love of learning with countless students and made significant contributions to the field through his books and thirty-two patents. But more than his academic accolades, David will be remembered for his warmth, humility, and generosity. His sense of humor, his caring nature, and his ever-present faith created lasting bonds with everyone he met.

David's legacy will live on not just in his intellectual contributions, but in the love he gave to those around him. He was preceded in death by his cherished wife, Florence Lorraine Barrett; his adopted parents, Zachery Ramsey and Alma Ramsey; his birth mother, Mertle Elloise Hall; and his sister, Phyllis Ann Moss.

He is survived by his son, David Michael Hall Jr. and his wife, Valerie Zegarelli; his daughter, Mary Elisabeth Rease and her husband, Randy Keith Rease; his daughter, Alma Jane Knuth and her husband, Richard George Knuth; his daughter, Florence Courtney Evermon and her husband, Darin Wendall Evermon; his adored grandchildren, Claire Cumbee Robinson, George Hunter Robinson, Ethan Nathaniel Evermon, Lindsay Grace Evermon, Natalie Jane Evermon, Madison Elaine Knuth, and Richard George Knuth II; his beloved sisters and brothers-in-law, along with many cherished nieces and nephews. David's love for his family was boundless, and his legacy continues through them.

David's kindness, intellect, and loving spirit have touched so many lives, and though he is no longer with us, his impact will forever remain in our hearts. He will be deeply missed, but never forgotten. Through our promise of eternal life and the sure hope of the resurrection, we find assurance that we will see him again.

In his memory, the family invites all who knew David to join them for a Celebration of Life Mass at Saint Michael's Catholic Church in Auburn, Alabama on Tuesday, February 18, 2025. Visitation 10:00, Rosary 10:45, Celebratory Mass 11:00, and reception following Mass. Graveside service for immediate family only. For those who wish to honor David's life with a donation, the family asks that you consider supporting the Exceptional Foundation of East Alabama, a cause near to David's heart Donate - Exceptional Foundation of East Alabama