An appreciation of our oldest member, by Faith Copper Endicott, President of the Historical Society of Riverton.
Celebrating the art of living to 100 with cake, a crowd of friends and many stories!
There are few who have reached the rare milestone of living a life of 100 years. Fewer still have done it with grace and style. Bill Hall is one of those rare few and he is still making his mark on many of us.
Holding court, as befits Riverton royalty, at his home on August 10, many of his friends and family joined in celebration of this centennial triumph. A time of reflection at these milestones is par for the course, and this time was no exception.
Everyone was able to speak familiarly of his lifetime accomplishments, his love for his dear late wife, Nancy Hall, and their family. A love nearly equal to his compassion for his community. And nearly everyone heard some story for the first time.
People chatted about his vast leisure pursuits, which he would call ‘just living life’. He easily could have retold stories of his experiences with sailing, beekeeping, biking, teaching, and hiking the Alps, to only name a few, but he seemed very content to simply greet the stream of guests stopping by to hug him warm wishes and eat birthday cake.
A story. Each one of us has a story, which we partly write ourselves. This is the part that largely helps define us to the world. The part that is most often severely judged. How we have overcome life’s challenges, reached for the stars despite the night, the strength of our resolve to follow the truth for truth’s sake…but there may be more to it than that. I fear not doing justice to Bill Hall by retelling his story in my words by way of expanding on his work and pastimes or trying to describe his attitudes on life. As if they wholly defined the man.
If there is a secret to getting the most from life, no matter what number you reach, Bill seems to have found it. He has generously shared his story with many of us in a way that helps shape our own. I have a new love for bees that is largely influenced by my talks with him…and I can’t help thinking of Bill’s encouragement every time I am out near the hives. His is a positive spirit that sticks with you, one that he always enjoys paying forward.
If great art is a result of much practice and dedication, let us take this to heart. The art of living to 100 years might just be one of the finest masterpieces of all. Thanks to you, Bill, for sharing it with so many of us. Looking forward to our next visit and another thing to smile about.
Faith Copper Endicott
HSR President
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MR. HALL!