Doyle Edwin Hull

Mr. Hull was born in Hawthorne, California in 1933 to James Hull and Sadie Lucas. His mother’s early death and the travel required for his father’s carpentry work kept Mr. Hull on the move during his childhood, with residences in California and Oregon primarily. At age 18, he enlisted in the Marine Corps and spent part of his enlistment in Norfolk, attaining the rank of sergeant. Upon completion of his military service, Mr. Hull attended Northeast Missouri State Teachers College (now Truman State University), where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in less than three years.

In 1957, Mr. Hull returned to Norfolk where he found employment at the National Bank of Commerce, the precursor to Virginia National Bank, which became Sovran Bank and is now part of Bank of America. Mr. Hull’s specialty became real estate finance and he rose through the ranks, eventually becoming Executive Vice President. He spearheaded the bank’s move into mortgage banking and played a key role in many community developments. Upon Mr. Hull’s retirement in 1991, a front-page article in The Virginian-Pilot’s business section proclaimed “Hull Leaves Imprint on Norfolk.”

Throughout his career and in retirement, Mr. Hull exemplified a civic-minded approach. He served on the boards of Tidewater Community College and Eastern Virginia Medical School and played key roles in the Norfolk Redevelopment Housing Authority, the Norfolk Industrial Development Authority, and the Model Cities Commission. Mr. Hull’s childhood experiences with race and poverty resulted in a fair-minded, inclusive approach that was often at odds with the prevailing trends of his time.

Mr. Hull’s devoted wife, Camilla “Suzie” Hull, passed away in 2018. He is survived by two sons, Doyle Hull Jr. and David Hull; a daughter, Patricia Vedomske; a sister-in-law, Marilee Miller; and six grandchildren: Sarah Grace, James, Christopher, Ashlen, Baylen, and Cullen.

In lieu of flowers, Mr. Hull’s family suggests memorial donations to a charity that he supported for years: The Union Mission Ministries (https://www.unionmissionministries.org/).

Please join the family for a time of visitation on Thursday, June 5, 2025 from 2-4 p.m. at Woodlawn Funeral Home, 6329 E. Virginia Beach Blvd, Norfolk. Mr. Hull will be privately laid to rest beside his wife in Woodlawn Memorial Gardens. Please visit his webpage at www.woodlawnnorfolk.com to leave a note of condolence to his family.