David Hall

David D. Hall, 74, of Mansfield Center, born July 17, 1937 to Sidney Hall (deceased) and Annie Hall died peacefully on February 14, 2012 at Mansfield Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation after a long illness. He leaves his mother, Annie Rathbun Hall who celebrated her 100th birthday in June 2011. He was a devoted son - spending time with his parents to visit the Hall and Rathbun relatives, surprising them with a trip to Bermuda for Thanksgiving, caring for them daily in their later years. To his uncles, aunts, and cousins, he showed kindness. His neighbors were his extended family and he was always a loyal friend. An only child, David grew up in Mansfield Center in a house built by his father. To the end, David had a special place in his heart for that house he always called home. David attended Eastern Connecticut State University and University of Connecticut earning advanced degrees and awards for his academic achievements. After graduating, he began his teaching profession in Chaplin and then the Hartford Public School System. In 1967, he was appointed Professor in the Reading and Language Arts Department at Central Connecticut State University - retiring in 1994 after 35 dedicated and accomplished years. In the 60's, David purchased the Oliver Bingham house in the area of the Mansfield Hollow Dam. He restored the house to its original state, c. 1800 and filled the house with antiques. As an avid horticulturist, he landscaped the yard with great care and thought. There were blooms of vintage plantings, tulips, daffodils, roses, and lilac. Every spring the vegetable garden was planted and its abundance was shared. He became an advocate for his neighborhood and his town by joining many organizations, serving on their committees, and earning him praise and awards for his many endeavors. His exquisite home provided him with a place to entertain his family, neighbors, and friends. For those who were fortunate to attend, they will always remember the beautiful outside funeral held for his father, the festive celebration given for his mother's 90th birthday, and the celebratory fundraising parties. David loved the arts holding memberships in museums locally, throughout CT, New England, and New York. He traveled throughout the US and Europe to explore other museums and cultures. He enjoyed a great concert and an entertaining play having subscriptions with local and CT theaters. Retirement gave David the time to attend a variety of continuing education classes. One such class was poetry writing. Poetry became a passion for David writing hundreds of poems expressing his thoughts and feelings about family, friends, nature, and lessons learned. He shared this passion with a group of writers at a series of workshops presented by Curbstone Press in 1998. The group continued to meet. They called themselves The Thread City Poets and collectively published their poetry in the Open Shutter in 2001. David's contributions were - Sagabond, Saturday Night 1917 The Bath, Blueberry Picking. There are no calling hours. A memorial service will be held on March 31st at 10:00am at First Church of Christ Congregational, Mansfield Center. For those who wish, memorial donations are suggested to Mansfield Historical Society, P.O. Box 145, Storrs, CT 06268-0145. Arrangements through Potter Funeral Home, Willimantic. For an online memorial guestbook, please visit www.potterfuneralhome.com .