House Resolution 31

A RESOLUTION COMMEMORATING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF JUDGE KEVIN WESLEY HALL OF BLUE MOUNTAIN, MISSISSIPPI, AND EXPRESSING DEEPEST SYMPATHY TO HIS FAMILY, COLLEAGUES AND FRIENDS UPON HIS PASSING.

WHEREAS, on Saturday, December 14, 2013, north Mississippi sadly lost a longtime, well-respected justice court and municipal court judge with the passing of the Honorable Kevin Wesley Hall, at the age of 82, at his home in Blue Mountain, Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, born on February 15, 1931, to the late William Thomas and Mary Elizabeth Crossen Hall, Judge Hall, a native of Dumas, Mississippi, whose education began in a one-room schoolhouse in Hell Creek, attended numerous local schools throughout his formative years due to his family's sharecropping before ultimately dropping out of Blue Mountain School in the eleventh grade; and

WHEREAS, when he was unable to enlist in the Army after having suffered pneumonia as a child, Judge Hall commenced a lifetime of hard work in various enterprises by going to work as a snuff maker for the American Snuff Company in Memphis, Tennessee; and

WHEREAS, in the early 1960s, Judge Hall returned home to Blue Mountain and supported his family as a car salesman at dealerships in the Holly Springs area and as a pulpwood logger, a job that was extremely hard and for which Judge Hall made no secret of his intense dislike; and

WHEREAS, Judge Hall, having earned a GED at the age of 51, eventually called it quits in the pulpwood industry and opened a used vehicle dealership in Blue Mountain prior to his election as South Half Justice Court Judge in Tippah County in 1992; and

WHEREAS, although Judge Hall, who also served as a municipal court judge in Blue Mountain and Ripley, never had the benefit of a formal education, his common sense combined with his annual state judge's training earned him the well-deserved reputation of always treating everyone the same, regardless of a person's station in life, throughout his 20 years on the bench; and

WHEREAS, known for deeply caring about the welfare of children, Judge Hall personally helped youngsters at the Blue Mountain Children's Home and generously donated money throughout his life to St. Jude Children's Hospital in Memphis; and

WHEREAS, Judge Hall, highly regarded as "among the best storytellers you were likely to find," enjoyed many outdoor activities in his pastime, including, gardening, riding motorcycles, dune buggies and horses, as well as going on trail rides and attending pony-pulling contests; and

WHEREAS, since his death, Judge Kevin Hall, a faithful member of Macedonia Baptist Church, has been fondly remembered for the many friends he had from all walks of life by his family and colleagues, who have so aptly described Judge Hall with admirable testimonials such as, "He loved everybody [and] loved helping people and he'd go out of his way to help you if you deserved it," and "[Judge Hall understood] that all folks want to be treated with a certain amount of dignity, no matter how much or how little cash is in their billfold"; and

WHEREAS, Judge Kevin Hall, whose legacy of fairness, compassion and hard work lives on today in the hearts and memories of those who knew and loved him best as well as the countless lives he unknowingly impacted with his judicious determinations and rulings, is lovingly survived by: his wife of over 57 years, Jean Crum Hall; sons, Ricky Hall (Dabney) and Joey Hall (Pat); grandchildren, Will Hall, Alicia Reaves and Chase Hall; and great-grandchildren, Maddee, Rylee, Emmitt Hall, Hallie and Lizzy Reaves; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives to commend outstanding Mississippians such as Judge Kevin Wesley Hall, whose exemplary life of hard work, faithful service and commitment to others and his entire community may serve as a model to which all may aspire:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby commemorate the life and legacy of Judge Kevin Wesley Hall of Blue Mountain, Mississippi, and express heartfelt sympathy to his family, colleagues and many friends upon his passing.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to the family of Judge Kevin Wesley Hall and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.