John Allen Hall

John Allen Hall, Sr. passed away peacefully on January 19, 2004 in Weatherford, Texas at the age of 88 in the loving arms of his wife, Shirley Hall. John's last words to Shirley were "Give me a kiss." She did and his soul passed from his body into the loving arms of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. John and Shirley had been married for 64 years.Born March 6, 1915 in Brock, Texas, John began a life full of adventure. His pioneering family moved west to Yuma, Arizona and later to the Los Angeles area to pursue opportunities in the oil and gas industry. After graduating from Poly High of Long Beach, CA with class mates John Wayne and Robert Mitchum, John received a scholarship and attended The University of Chicago. John started his own career working in the oil industry for Superior Oil of California. John and Shirley A. Smith met in Long Beach and were married in Bakersfield in 1939. John considered his marriage to Shirley the "greatest achievement of my life." In 1942, John and Shirley and their first two children moved to Weatherford where John, his father and three brothers started an oil tool manufacturing company, The Weatherford Spring Company. In 1946, John and his three brothers founded Weatherford Oil Tool Company and through their efforts built it into a worldwide oil tool manufacturer and service company. John invented and patented several innovative oil tools and methods of oil well completion. These innovations changed the way oil wells were completed and are still in use today. John was also a tireless salesman of the company's tools and services. One of John's proudest achievements was supervising the successful effort to shut down a serious gas blow out in Mississippi. The U.S. government had drilled this well as an underground nuclear test well. The government selected John to contain the blow out because of his innovative methods of completing and controlling difficult oil and gas wells, which was his specialty. The Hall family sold the company in 1973. Today, the company is named Weatherford International and is listed on the American Stock Exchange. It is still one of the world's leading oil and gas manufacturing and service companies. After selling the company, John worked as a consultant for several major oil and gas companies as an oil well completion specialist. Later, he worked with his daughter, Milly, and her partner, J. Baxter Brinkmann, in Dallas where he worked with The Brinkmann Corporation and its affiliates on various projects.John was a big-thinking Texan who inspired everyone with whom he associated. His experiences, achievements and adventures were enormous and he lived every moment of his life to the fullest. He was knowledgeable about so many subjects and had a memory that amazed everyone who knew him. There was no better storyteller than John and his positive, kind, friendly and humorous nature will be remembered by many friends, associates and family members. He always saw the best in people and was extraordinary in his generosity of time and means. His capacity for love was second to none and there is no other who loved his family more that John. We will miss him dearly all the days of our lives.He is survived by his wife Shirley Hall of Weatherford; his five children, Jeanie E. Hall McLaughlin of Cannon Beach, OR, John A. Hall, Jr. and wife Susan, of San Antonio, Merrill R. Hall and wife Joyce of Dallas, Shirley A. "Shan" Hall Gardner of Huntington Beach, CA, Milly Sue Hall McDonald and husband Bill of Dallas; his four grandchildren, Stuart D. Gardner and wife Mary of Ft. Worth, Paul McLaughlin and wife Judi of Portland, OR, Sherrill Hall Deering and husband Downs of Austin, Brian Hall and wife Ashley of Dallas; his brother Jess E. Hall, Jr. and wife Gail and their son Dub of Weatherford; his nieces Roma Lee Van Hoosier and husband Bill of Arlington, Melinda Darby and husband James of Hurst, Joan Hall Skipper of Li