Rev. Walter R. Hall Jr.

1953 - 2019

Rev. Walter R. Hall, Jr.

New Milford, C.T. - Reverend Walter R. Hall, Jr., a resident of New Milford, C.T., passed away on July 17, 2019, at Danbury Hospital. Born on March 16, 1953, Rev. Hall was the son of Deacon Walter R. Hall, Sr. and Deaconess Mattie Carey-Hall of North Carolina, who both preceded him in death.

Rev. Hall received his call to the ministry in 1977, and was licensed by the Rev. C.E. Thomas and the New Hope Baptist Church, Newark, N.J. After studying at the New York Theological Seminary, Rev. Hall was ordained at the First Baptist Church, Princeton, N.J., and called to serve as the first Assistant Pastor of the New Hope Baptist Church in 1979.

Simultaneous to beginning his pastoral career, Rev. Hall also began a career in healthcare administration, where he worked for more than 40 years. He held administrative positions in prestigious medical centers, including Overlook Hospital in Summit, N.J., where he was the first black healthcare administrator, Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, N.Y., and Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. In September 2005, he was recruited by Yale New Haven Hospital in New Haven, C.T., where he served as the senior manager of Perioperative Services.

Rev. Hall was called to pastor the Mount Zion Baptist Church, Greenhaven, N.Y. He accepted and started serving there in December 1983, and was officially installed as pastor in March 1984. Rev. Hall married Teri R. Hall of Summit, N.J., at the Mount Zion Baptist Church on November 22, 1986. In April 2019, Rev. Hall and First Lady Teri Hall celebrated 35 years of pastoral service, making Rev. Hall the longest serving pastor of the Mount Zion Baptist Church.

Rev. Hall leaves to cherish his memory his loving and dedicated wife of 35 years, Teri R. Hall; two sons: Seth Hall of New Paltz, N.Y., and Kevin Paige Hall (Swe) of New Paltz, N.Y.; three daughters: Anika Holmes of Washington D.C., Nakia Purefoy (Shaun) of Broadnax, V.A., and Janeen Hall of Brooklyn, N.Y.; one sister, Shirley Hinton of Owings Mills, M.D.; one brother, Anthony Hall (Adrianne) of Wesley Chapel, N.C.; his father-in law, William Robinson of Summit, N.J.; two sisters-in-law, Kathy Robinson of Summit, N.J. and Deborah Stevenson of Blue Springs, M.O.; 12 (soon to be 13) grandchildren: Alexis, Cori, Anisa, Anaya, Xavier, Daijah, Jayden, Julian, Eden, Arianna, Raelynn, and Shaun, Jr; and a host of nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins, loving family members, the Mount Zion church family and friends.

Donations may be made to the American Heart Association www.heart.org

Rev. Hall will have a Gathering 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 Noon on Saturday, July 27, 2019 at Mt. Zion Baptist Church, 10 S. Greenhaven Road, Stormville, NY; Home Going Service at 12:00 noon at the Church. Professional services entrusted to Rhodes Funeral Homes, 43 Fairview Ave., Poughkeepsie, NY. 12601 "Committed To Being The Very Best" Call us anytime 452-2894 or 452-6143.