Bradford Allyn Hall, PhD, 83, died after a brief illness on July 11, 2016, at Eastern Maine Medical Center. He was born April 7, 1933, the son of Milton Bradford Hall and Minna Schultz Hall of Rehoboth, Massachusetts.
Brad graduated from Providence Country Day School and earned a BS in Geology at the University of Maine, an MS from Brown University and a PhD from Yale University. He joined the Department of Geology at the University of Maine and spent his career teaching, conducting research, mentoring graduate students and chairing the Department of Geological Sciences before retiring as professor emeritus.
From an early age, Brad spent summers with his parents on Munsungun Lake, where they owned the Bradford Camps, sporting camps in the true tradition of the North Maine Woods. By the age of fifteen he had earned his pilot’s license and enjoyed flying float planes. Brad’s knowledge of the woods was vast and his love for the region clearly figured into his career choice of geology, including his doctoral thesis project mapping the geology of northern Maine.
While an undergraduate at the University of Maine, he met his future wife, RoseAnne Greenlaw of Presque Isle, Maine. They married in 1955 and she joined him in Germany, where he was deployed with post-World War II occupation forces. After his discharge from service, Brad resumed his graduate education and along with his devoted partner raised two children, Anne Hall of Washington, D.C., and Sue Hall Rodgers of Littleton, Colorado.
Brad was proud to serve as the Chairman of Geological Science at the University of Maine for several years. His research in the Antarctic, India, Eastern Europe and Southern Africa provided many exciting stories and memories for his family over the years, inspiring his daughter Anne to join the Foreign Service. Hall Rock, Victoria Land, Antarctica, was named for him in 1971.
Following his retirement, Brad pursued his multitude of interests, including fly fishing for Atlantic salmon, traveling around the world to visit his daughters, reading, researching new projects, gardening, woodworking, cooking and more. Much of his time continued to be spent on Munsungun Lake, often with his family and his beloved Airedale Terriers. Brad’s life remained full and productive until just days before his passing.
He was predeceased by his parents; and is survived by his wife, daughters; son-in-law, Scott; and grandchildren, Emma Bradford and Peter Cushing Rodgers.
Tributes to Brad may be done in the manner of one’s choosing.
A remembrance will be held later this summer. Condolences to the family may be expressed at www.BrookingsSmith.com.