Helen McRee Hall

Helen Blair McRee Hall passed away on Monday, October 14. Born on July 9, 1926, in Richmond, Virginia, to Sarah Irby and Griffith John McRee, she spent all but one year of her long 93 here in the Old Dominion. She graduated from Midlothian High, attended college at Longwood and RPI, lived married life, then retirement, in Bon Air, Virginia, and now she will rest in peace in Powhatan, Virginia. Helen was a dyed-in-the-wool Virginia dame with the drawl to prove it. She met and married Edwin Price Hall of Hanover County after his service in WWII and proceeded to raise two unimaginably excellent kids during the kinder, gentler 50's and 60's. Helen dearly loved her friends and pastimes in the small community of Bon Air. She partied, gardened, cooked gloriously, partied, played tennis, made spiffy clothes, and partied. She was a lifelong artist with a midlife career doing art restoration for William Young of Young's Fine Art on Franklin Street. She was also co-proprietor of Bon Air's first consignment shop -- the H&H Trading Post, operating out of the tiny first post office on Rockaway Road. Her retirement years were spent trying to keep husband Ed out of trouble (an exercise in futility) and sharing her time -- and home -- with her mother (an exercise in love) once her "Daddy" had passed away. Helen was a feisty, formidable lady consistently dressed to the nines. Her insistence on fashionable presentation up to her final days earned her the tag of "Diva" at Spring Arbor of Salisbury, her home for the last 6 years. (Dear God, we hope there's a Macy's in the afterlife.) Helen was pre-deceased by husband, Edwin Price Hall and parents Sarah Irby McRee and Griffith John McRee. Surviving family members are daughter Blair Hall Martin (Bill), son Edwin Price Hall Jr. (Juli), granddaughter Meghan Morrison (Read), great-granddaughters Molly, Lily and Sarah Morrison, sister Elizabeth Irby Hodges (Ralph, deceased), brother Griffith John McRee Jr. (Susan), seven nieces and nephews and their respective offspring. Finally, the family's most heartfelt thanks to the wonderful people she (and we) could not have done without. From Spring Arbor -- Valerie, Teddy, Esther, Luna, Chalita, Serena, Albernita, Jennifer, Emily, Victoria, and all of the other S.A. troopers. From Always Best Care, Midlothian -- Sheila, Christy, Lisa, Tammie, Tiara, as well as the warriors who came before. From private rehab, Megan. And from Heaven (on Earth), Sally. There will be a graveside service for family, and all others wishing to attend, at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 2245 Huguenot Trail, Powhatan, VA, 23139 (Route 711). A reception will follow at the home of Blair and Bill Martin. No need for flowers or contributions. A few good memories of Helen Hall will be just fine.