By Kaitlyn Clark
The Haldimand Press is saddened to announce the passing of Publisher Emeritus Robert “Bob” Hall on November 15, 2018 at the age of 82.
Bob was born in Cayuga to Gordon and Marion (Hibbs) Hall in 1937. The Halls had been brought to Haldimand when Gordon learned that The Haldimand Advocate was for sale and purchased it in November, 1931. Gordon had a history with newspapers, as his father was a publisher of The Clinton News Record and Gordon himself had become an expert in linotype. Because of this, Bob was born with ink in his veins and was sure to follow in the family business.
In a June 25, 2009 Haldimand Press article about Cayuga’s history by Catherine Berry Stidsen, Bob recalled travelling to the Canfield G&B train station every Thursday morning to put papers on the train, along with regular trips to pick up stock from paper houses. Bob learned to maintain the linotype machine when he was 16 years old in 1953.
Having retired in the fall of 2014 after selling the paper to fellow Cayuga resident Jill Morison, Bob would have spent over six decades working with the paper. During this time, he took over the role of editor and publisher after his father’s death in 1965 and saw the amalgamation of The Haldimand Advocate with The Hagersville Press in January, 1975, the combination of which would become The Haldimand Press.
“Bob’s work and that of his family has made its own mark on the history of Cayuga,” wrote Berry Stidsen in her article. “When I asked Bob about his hopes for Cayuga’s future, it was that no matter what happens, he hopes it will always ‘retain its character’. (I would suggest that character is best found in Bob’s own person…).”
Ed McCarthy, a long-time friend of Bob’s, gave the eulogy at Bob’s
funeral; he spoke of Bob’s dedication to the paper, his love of Lincolns and his truck “Old Blue”, his passion for racehorses, and those “colourful little gems”.
Long-time subscribers of The Press will remember fondly Bob’s weekly columns, “Bits by Bob”, as he mused about life in Haldimand and ended with “This Week’s Little Gem”, a tradition the paper continues to this day.
On these “colourful” jokes, Reverend Canon Katherine Morgan added, “There was a spark of mischief in his eyes. He had a sly sense of humour and he liked to push the envelope on what he could get away with.”
On Bob’s passing, Jill Morison said, “It’s very sad. He leaves behind a legacy of commitment to our community and informing people about news and happenings in Haldimand. I’m very pleased that his life’s work – The Haldimand Press – lives on and continues to be a vital part of our county. He was also a great friend of my family and I’m humbled that he entrusted me to purchase The Press, which was so dear to him.”
Bob Hall 2009
Katherine Hedley, who worked for Bob for 26 years and was “a family friend for much longer”, stated online, “I am thinking about the loss of one of the greatest men I ever knew. A man who taught me so many things – the correct use of an apostrophe; to always double-check the spelling of someone’s name; … that if a man’s wearing a jacket in a photo it should be done up; … to love the colour purple; to enjoy a good banquet burger from Laura’s restaurant and a milkshake from Hewitt’s; the love of a dog is sometimes more important than that of a human; … and ‘small service is true service’.”
Dozens of people responded to the statement, sending condolences and sharing their own memories of Bob.
MPP Toby Barrett responded, “Bob Hall was Haldimand. I couldn’t tell you how many times he told me to button my jacket.”
Maggie Stephens Dougherty wrote, “He was such a character. I really had come to admire and respect Bob. Such a wit he had … I will miss our talks.”
Linda Feeney wrote, “I worked with him in later years; he was a stickler for accuracy, spelling and punctuation. Very good memories of my time working at The Press.”
While Bob’s work at The Haldimand Press connected him to the community, it was far from his only connection. Bob was also a life-long supporter of St. John the Divine Anglican Church in Cayuga, where he went to Sunday school as a child: “He often was the lone person there because the church was struggling for support in those days. Bob was later confirmed at All Saints’ Church in Hagersville by Bishop Bagnall,” said the Stidsen article. Bob was also a member of many organizations, including the Odd Fellows and Masonic Lodges, Cottonwood Mansion Preservation Society, and Community Living Haldimand, among many others.
As anyone who was close to Bob will note, he had a stubborn streak and was always more comfortable out of the spotlight and behind the camera. McCarthy spoke of how difficult it was to convince Bob to accept the status of an honourary resident of Cayuga, and it seems this was true for all his awards. He was also recognized with both the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002 and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012. The Ontario Newspaper Association presented him with the Golden Quill award for 50 years of service to the industry as well.
Dozens of people came out to recognize Bob’s life and work at Ruthven Park on Monday, November 19, 2018 for his visitation and funeral, a sign of the impact he had on the Haldimand community.
Bob Hall 2018
“Bob was part of the heartbeat of the community,” said Rev. Morgan. “He was a voice for people who needed a voice.”
McCarthy ended his eulogy by saying, “Old paper boy, may you rest in peace.”
See page 7 of the November 22nd Haldimand Press for ‘Bits by Bob’.
