Gretchen Harrington Hull

Gretchen Harrington Hull (nee Wegener), age 84 of Clayton, NC, passed away unexpectedly on March 7, 2026 surrounded by her loving family. Gretchen was born in Bexley, Ohio on November 1st, 1941 to parents Betty and George Wegener. She graduated from Bexley High School in 1959 and continued her education at The Ohio State University, where she received Bachelor of Arts degrees in History and English in 1963. During her time at Ohio State, Gretchen pledged, and was initiated, as a member of the Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority while also working part-time as a legal assistant.

After graduating from college, Gretchen relocated to Rocky River, Ohio where she was blessed with the birth of her two children: Frank in 1966 and Holly in 1970. Gretchen had a warm and compassionate soul, and throughout her life she was an active member of the many communities in which she resided. Along with enjoying motherhood, she shared her generous spirit through volunteer work with multiple organizations, including the Junior League, the Eliza Jennings House, the Lakewood Historical Society, and the Poison Control Center.

Gretchen returned to her hometown of Bexley, Ohio in 1979, where she began a successful career that eventually culminated in her serving as Deputy Director of Communications for the Ohio Department of Administrative Services. On March 10th, 1984, after 7 years of courtship, she married the love of her life, Byron Z Hull. After retiring from her position with the State of Ohio in 2005, she spent much of her retirement traveling with her husband to spend time with her beloved granddaughters while her daughter, Holly, served in the United States Air Force.

Following Holly’s retirement, Gretchen and Byron relocated for one last time to Clayton, North Carolina in 2015. Gretchen spent her final years continuing to dote on her family and satisfying her voracious love of reading, a passion she shared with her husband and granddaughters, by devouring every book she could get her hands on.

Gretchen was preceded in death by her parents, George Wegener and Betty Emig; her son, Frank Vokoun III; her sister, Betty Ann Elliott; and her nephew, David Elliott. Gretchen’s memory will live on through her adoring husband of nearly 5 decades, Byron Z Hull; her loving daughter and son-in-law, Holly and Brad Ellenberger; her beloved grandchildren, Allison and Meghan Ellenberger; and Charlotte (“Char Char”), an adopted Korean cat that she cherished for the last 11 years of her life. Gretchen will also be dearly missed by her sister, Nancy Jones (Bruce); her sister-in-law, Hildegarde Hull; and her nephews, Rex Elliott (Sam), Preston Elliott (Jill), and Preston Jones.

A visitation will be held at 11:30 am on Saturday, March 28th, 2026, at SCHOEDINGER MIDTOWN 229 E. State Street, Columbus, OH, 43215 followed by a memorial service at 1:00 pm to celebrate Gretchen’s life.