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Hall, Sydnor

September 23, 1932 –
 January 23, 2014

Obituary

  Sydnor Hall Jr., (Syd) 81, passed away Thursday, January 23rd, 2014 at his home in Dallas, Texas. He was born to the late Kathleen and Sydnor Hall on September 23, 1932 in Memphis, Tennessee. When Syd Jr. was 7 years old he lost his father in an aviation accident involving the personal aircraft his father so loved to fly. Following the death of his father, Syd lived in various parts of Mississippi throughout his childhood and young adult life. On August 28th, 1953 Syd married Sara Jane Craig. The humorous story of the beginning of their courtship is a testament to his larger than life personality and tendency to be quite the character. Syd graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1954 where he was a member of Kappa Alpha Order. Following graduation, Syd was commissioned into the United States Army and proudly served his country until he was honorably discharged in 1956.  Syd went to work for Crawford and Company as an Insurance Adjuster and retired in 1995 after 37 dedicated years of service. Syd had an abounding love for perfectly polished shoes that was only superceded by the love he had for his family. He was fiercely protective of his family and especially his younger brother, Charles Hall. Syd was a consistently generous and caring family man who was always there for his family, regardless the need. There was that one exception in college when after a fraternity party he dropped off his future wife and future mother of his children at a house that had been designated for girls visiting from out of town.  By manner of accident, it turned out he had the wrong address and had not dropped Sara off at the designated girls’ house, but at a private residence belonging to a gentleman. Sara quickly called to let him know what had happened and Syd, still not fully grasping the situation, asked the gentleman if it was ok if she stayed there for the night. It was not until the man accepted the arrangement and commented that he was sure an angel had appeared and dropped off this beautiful guest that Syd truly realized the situation, came to his senses, and resolved it. These episodes of great panache followed by moments of clarity allow for the numerous hilarious stories Syd leaves behind and more than likely secures his nomination for Entertainer of a Lifetime. He was a loyal and committed employee for Crawford and Company for 37 years which included assignments in Mississippi, Louisiana, California and Texas.  He was assigned to the Southwest Regional Office in Dallas, Texas the last thirteen years of his employment and retired as Assistant Vice President.  Syd received various awards including the Crawford and Company Peak Service Performance Award in 1989.   During his employment years he was active in various organizations including the Southeastern Workers Compensation Administration, The Dallas Insurance Club, The Elks Club, The Kiwanis International, and the Southern California Chapter of the National Aeronautic Association.  He honorably served as President of the San Antonio Chapter of the Blue Goose International, a fraternal organization of individuals who work in the insurance related industry.  During that time he received the “Most Loyal Gander” Award as a tribute to his tireless and selfless work.  It has long been theorized that it was his excellent social skills, his unnatural ability to perform with little sleep, and his resolve to be the last person to leave the party that helped him secure this prestigious award. Syd was an avid Sportsman and enjoyed watching football, hunting, fishing, and most of all hanging out at the various leases and camps with his buddies. He was an excellent marksman and always hit his target.  Excluded from this claim would be the incident where he forgot to remove the bullets from the gun he was cleaning after returning from a hunting trip. The accidental discharge resulted in a bullet being lodged in the kitchen cabinet just inches away from where the love of his life was dutifully working at the kitchen sink. Luckily, Syd was a fast learner and henceforth he religiously followed the NRA Gun Safety Rules.  He was a quick and agile tennis player and he and his former tennis partner, Don Culler, consistently triumphed on the tennis court.  They especially delighted in the fact that they weighed 250 pounds between them and were able to bring down their burly, strapping, super jock opponents. Syd loved God and loved his Country. He was exceptionally proud of his military service.  As a student of WWII, he admired those of “The Greatest Generation”.  He was simply not capable of listening to a military ballad without clapping his hands, stomping his feet, and singing out loud.  Those who were fortunate enough to drive with Syd in his prized American made Lincoln would often get the pleasure of hearing him sing his best rendition of every single Frank Sinatra song ever recorded. Syd was also a member of the Joy Sunday School class at St. Andrews United Methodist Church in Plano, Texas. Syd is survived by his wife Sara of 60 years; daughter Sylvia Spangler (Joe Fierros) of Dallas, Texas; son Sydnor Hall of San Antonio, Texas; brother Charles Hall of Forest, Mississippi; four grandchildren Justin Spangler, Jennifer Spangler, Gregory Hall, Sara Turnage (Jordan); great grandson Logan Turnage; and several nieces and nephews. A Memorial Service will be held on Thursday, January30th at 1:00 PM in the Sanctuary at St. Andrew United Methodist Church.  The Church is located at 5801 W. Plano Parkway, Plano, TX  75093. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to a Charity of your choice or one of Syd’s favorites; The Wounded Warrior Project, St. Andrews United Methodist Church, or the American Cancer Society. Arrangements are under the direction of ARIA Cremation Service and Funeral Home 19310 Preston Road Dallas, Texas 75252 214-306-6700

    Don Wallette
    25 Jan 2014
    12:47am

    I am so saddened by Uncle Syd’s passing. Like his father before him, he was dashing and daring and always, to me, larger than life. He and Sara were often surrogate parents to me and Lori, especially in Los Angeles when we were at university. He leaves a beautiful family of children and grandchildren who love him and are hurting now for their loss. I hurt with them.

    RIP, Night Rider. I will never forget you and will love you forever.

    Karen Mosby
    25 Jan 2014
    1:54pm

    Sylvia–so sorry to hear about your father. I have such wonderful memories of all of you at Kathleen’ s. Praying for all of you–God’s comfort.
    Love,
    Karen Mosby

    Stormy Aldredge
    25 Jan 2014
    8:27pm

    Sylvia–
    The loss of a parent is always difficult. I will keep you and your family in my thoughts and prayers.
    Love,
    Stormy Aldredge

    Charles Thomas
    25 Jan 2014
    8:28pm

    Syd was a very close friend when we were KA ‘s together in the mid 50’s at the University of Southern Mississippi. We had many good times together. I was in Syd and Sara Jane’s wedding. Our prayers are with his family.

    Angie Hammond
    25 Jan 2014
    9:04pm

    So sorry to hear about Syd. I remember many summer visits to Aunt Kathleen’s home in Forest, Ms. All the cousins including Syd and Charles, would play croquet and many other games. Syd and Charles had the best comic book collection I ever saw. We all loved watching them play in tennis competitions. Great memories of childhood days. May God bring His comfort to the family.

    Jack Oliver
    26 Jan 2014
    12:13pm

    Syd and I were KA’s at Southern. After reading about Syd he and I followed the same path in life. I too served two years in the Army. After leaving the Army I also went to work for Crawford & Company. I was sent to the Columbus, Georgia branch. I know many fellows that worked for Crawford & Company so we have lived a similar life which has been good to us. Sorry to hear about Syds passing. I will always remember our association while at Southern.

    Owen Arnold
    26 Jan 2014
    12:18pm

    Sara,
    Please accept my sincerest condolences and deepest sympathy during this time of sorrow. Syd was a true gentleman. I admired his strength.

    Tom Trevilion
    28 Jan 2014
    6:54am

    Sara, Sylvia, “Little” Syd and grandchildren, The world has lost a gem. Small in stature, huge in spirit. I am proud to call Syd a friend. Friends and fellow KA’s at Southern, rekindled our friendship when he, and you, moved to San Antonio, visiting in your homes both there and in Dallas. Such fond memories. My deepest sympathies and condolences. Syd will forever be missed.

    Dick Jordan '52
    28 Jan 2014
    11:37am

    Sara Jane, and family, I know your loss is heavy. We were all close in the years at USM. Little I can say will not ease your burden, hover, I know that he is in a bester place, the place we all hope to end up together again. Please do not hesitate to call upon us when you need anything. Dick & Mary Jordan

    Angela Ehmann
    29 Jan 2014
    7:22pm

    Wonderful man and a wonderful family!

    Mary Rogers
    29 Jan 2014
    7:47pm

    Sylvia, So sorry for the loss of your Dad….praying for comfort and peace for you and your family…

    LizThompson
    2 Feb 2014
    2:23pm

    Dear Sara and Sylvia and Joe and
    family. I am so sorry to hear the news. He was truly a gentleman and an example to me. I know we will see him again in heaven. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers…especially Sara.
    Liz

    Elise Farnham
    13 Feb 2014
    11:45am

    Sara and family: I was saddened to hear the news of Syd’s passing. He was such a fun friend and mentor during our days together at Crawford. Sara, you and Syd were so nice to me when I worked in the Dallas office. Those late night dinners and drinks after college classes are cherished memories. My sympathies to you and your entire family.

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"Nothing prepares you for the grief you go through when losing a child. I called this funeral home at 2:00 am broken and could barely talk. The amount of compassion and empathy they showed me immediately let me know I found the right place to cremate my son. I cannot thank them enough for their professionalism, SINCERE concern, and commitment to making sure my son was honored in the most respectful way. I hope this Funeral home values her as much as my family and I do."
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"On behalf of my family, I wanted you to know how much we appreciate your handling of my husband's final arrangements. Wayne Baxter assisted & guided us through the entire process with such care & compassion. Don't know what we would have done without him! Sincerely, Colleen Elledge"
The Peterson Family
The Peterson FamilyYelp! Review - Northwest Highway 5-Stars
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"I can’t say enough about how helpful and professional Dusty Martin, the funeral director at the Aria Cremation location on NW Highway has been. From my initial call, he was kind and informative. My friend died at home while on hospice and she was picked up in about an hour after receiving the call from the hospice nurse. The person who arrived to pick her up was also very professional/respectful and allowed us to take as much time with her as we wished. When I met with Dusty the next day about arrangements, he explained the process and options available without being pushy or trying to “sell” extras. Throughout the process, he kept me informed and, for example, was careful to be certain I understood the cost of the obituary I wanted and offered some options for reducing that cost if I wished. When I stopped by for another reason and started talking about some of the problems I was having with the pictures and media I hoped to use at a memorial lunch I was planning, he not only listened patiently but offered technology advice and let me use his personal media player. I have had experience arranging cremations for four others using two other local companies, and this experience with Dusty at Aria has been by far the best one I have had."
Paula Barnes
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"My Daddy’s service and our family experience at Aria Northwest Highway was truly blessed. Funeral Director Dustin Martin is the kind of person that you would like to see on a more regular basis – but in his industry – you hope to not see him that often. That being said – THANK YOU DUSTIN for your unending kindness, compassion and friendship through the process. Meeting you and discussing Dallas History, Find A Grave and my Dad’s lifelong contributions to the great City of Dallas was simply wonderful! In memory of my dad James A. Dodd, Sr. – I want to personally thank you and let you know that you made everything better in that moment. Your calling to “Be There” is spot on. Aria has a one in a million guy in you! Bling Blinky of TEXAS Shout Out: God Bless You!!"
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