Former alderman Hall dies at 86
Aug. 20—Friends and former colleagues are mourning the death of former Frederick alderman and county Planning Commission member William Hall.
"He meant everything to me. He was a close, close, dear friend," former County Commissioner Blaine Young said Friday.
The two met when they shared an office as city aldermen, and Hall was a mentor, friend and father figure to Young for the rest of his life, Young said.
Hall, 86, died Thursday. He had been sick for a while with a variety of illnesses, son-in-law Gary Rollins said Friday.
Hall served two terms on Frederick's Board of Aldermen, beginning in 1998.
After leaving office, he announced in 2009 at a Juneteenth picnic at the city's Mullinix Park that he would not seek another term, the News-Post reported at the time.
But he called on those at the event to get involved in their communities, either by volunteering or running for office.
"Make a concerted effort to help your community," he said. "Do the things you need to do and get involved."
Frederick Mayor Michael O'Connor said in a statement Friday that Hall's death left him and others with a profound sense of loss.
O'Connor ordered state and city flags at city properties flown at half-staff until sunset on the day of Hall's interment.
"Mr. Hall was an important pillar in the City of Frederick for his entire life," O'Connor's statement said. "He served on the Board of Aldermen for two terms from 1998-2006 including one term as President Pro-tem from 2002-2006.
"Mr. Hall was a friend and mentor to many. Losing such an important person in our community is always difficult, but we will celebrate his life and accomplishments that made our community better."
Young said there's no question in his mind that Hall could have been the first Black mayor of Frederick if he'd wanted to, since he was respected by everyone because of his fairness.
The two discussed the possibility, but Hall decided against it because of family priorities.
Young later had Hall appointed to the Frederick County Planning Commission in 2012, where he served until 2017.
Former commission member Sharon Suarez said Hall welcomed her to the commission with attention and respect when she arrived in 2015.
"He was a gentleman," Suarez said.
Hall was good-hearted and had the community's interests at heart, and a passion for affordable housing, she said.
Former Planning Commission colleague Bob White remembered Hall as a concerned and thoughtful member who pushed the commission and the county to do more to create truly affordable housing.
Hall's death is a loss for the county, White said.
He didn't like that developers could make payments rather than building affordable housing units in their projects, Suarez said.
But the first thing Suarez recalled Friday was Hall's ability to make people laugh.
"He had a wicked sense of humor," she said.
Follow Ryan Marshall on Twitter: @RMarshallFNP
Follow Ryan Marshall on Twitter: @RMarshallFNP
