James Allen Hall, 96, of Florence passed away peacefully October 31, 2022 at his residence. He was a member of First Presbyterian Church of Sheffield and retired radio broadcaster and General Manager of WVNA Radio.
Jim did the color commentary for WVNA sports for many years covering the Deshler Tigers and the University of North Alabama. Jim was a lover of sports of every kind especially baseball, football and tennis. He was an avid tennis player and was a board member and event coordinator at Jimmy Evert Tennis Center in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida where he lived since the 1980’s.
Jim was born in Pulaski, Virginia and moved to Sheffield with his family at an early age. He attended Sheffield High School and Augusta Military Academy which enabled him to enter the Merchant Marines as an officer. One of his first jobs was at the Colbert Theatre in Sheffield where he worked his way up to Manager. Jim had a very outgoing personality and never met a stranger. He loved music and was a drummer in High School. The Big Band sound was a favorite of his throughout his life. He also served as entertainment director at Turtle Point Yacht and Country Club for many years.
Jim was a dedicated Uncle and Great Uncle to his many nieces and nephews. He and his sister, Mary Jane, shared almost 20 years of memories together in Ft. Lauderdale before moving back to the Shoals in 2021. To say that he will be missed would be an understatement.
Jim was preceded in death by his parents, John Robert Hall and Mary Surber Hall; and brother, John R. Hall Jr. He is survived by his sister, Mary Jane Hall Darby; nieces, Jane Darby Dill (Johnny) and Lulu Darby Todd (Richard); great nieces and nephews, John Elton Dill, Maryanna Jane Dill, Richard “Gator” Todd (Mary Katherine), Darbi Lou Cone (David), James Hall Todd, and Roger Hugh Bedford, III.
A private graveside will be Friday, November 11, 2022 at 1 pm at Tri-Cities Memorial Gardens in Florence. Pallbearers will be his great nephews and Kevin Kasmeier, Benjamin Gibson, and Jessie Shanes. Honorary pallbearers are Johnny Dill, Richard Todd, Roger Bedford, Jr. and Paul Cole.
A special thank you to Dr. Britney Michael, Nurse Elly Collins, Nurse Victoria Scott and Shontale Whiteside for their compassionate care of our beloved Jimbo.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to J J Cares at North Alabama Animal Hospital in Sheffield or Singing River Equine Rescue in Florence or to the charity of your choice.
