Obituary of Stephen B. Hall

Stephen B. Hall, 71, succumbed to his three-year battle with kidney disease on Wednesday, May 15.  He died at home in the company of his partner of 26 years and two incredible hospice nurses.  He was born in Springfield, Illinois, but lived most of his life in and around St Petersburg, Florida.  He worked for 35 years as a sales route driver for Coca Cola. 

His greatest passions in life were baseball and animals, especially the canine companions he had over the years.  He was raised by his father, who died before young Stephen reached adulthood.  From that time, his family was a small, but close group of friends that was formed in the 1970s around common interests like Dungeons and Dragons (where he was often the dungeon master).

As those closest to him can attest, he was the quintessential grumpy old man, who admitted it freely and often wore t-shirts to announce it to the world.  However, anyone who ever needed a hand would also tell you he was one of the most generous people they ever met.  He had a quick and sardonic wit that he wielded often; even on his last day, his sense of humor remained intact. 

He is survived by his wife and partner, Juanita; two step-daughters, Tara Borton (Jason Statz) and Annie Liddle (Geoffry); two step-grandchildren (Rowan and Jameson); his close friends George “Mike” Carr, Steve Scrivner, and Anand "Erik" Boice; and his beloved dog, Xena.  He was preceded in death by his parents and grandparents; his first love, Rachel Milman; and his dogs Ranger, Lucy, and Bonnie.