Cornell E. Hall

Cornell Evan Hall went home to be with the Lord Thursday, October 15, 2020.  Cornell was born in Boley, Oklahoma on January 8, 1939 to the late Lawrence Calvin and Odessa Tucker Hall. He was the eldest of four children. Cornell's  parents moved to Mount Vernon, Illinois early in his childhood. He graduated from Mount Vernon Township High School in 1957 and enlisted in the United States Navy soon after.

In 1959, Cornell was assigned to Charleston, South Carolina to serve aboard the Submarine Tender USS Howard W Gilmore (AS16). He spent three years aboard the ship and served two years on Staff Duty at Minesweeper Detachment Unit. During this time, he met and married Mary R. Goodwin. Cornell and Mary were married thirty-nine years until Mary's passing in September 1999. Together they raised two children and their grandson. Cornell retired as a Chief petty officer (CPO) from the United States Navy on November 30, 1977 after twenty years of service. He took pride in serving his country and often talked about the various duty stations which included Guam, Da Nang Vietnam, Saigon Vietnam, Okinawa, Pearl Harbor Hawaii, and Oakland, California. After retiring from the Navy, Cornell moved his family to Vallejo, California where in November 1978 he went to work for the U.S Postal Service (USPS) as a Tractor Trailer Operator. In 1985, Cornell was promoted to Supervisor of Transportation. He retired from the USPS on December 30, 1999 after twenty years of service.

Cornell affectionately known as "Pops" met his future wife Catherine Rogers in 2002. The two married January 2, 2003 in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Cornell and Catherine enjoyed traveling, rooting for their favorite teams, his being the Dallas Cowboys and hers  the Oakland Raiders. Both found common ground rooting for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Cornell and Catherine loved cooking together for family gatherings. Who could forget his Annual Super Bowl Spread!  It was the best Smörgåsbord in all of Kern County!

Cornell was active in ministry serving on the usher board at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, Vallejo, California and Victory Baptist Church in Ridgecrest, California where he served as president of the usher board. Whether  in his usher uniform or special tailored suits, Pops was always dressed sharp from head to toe.

Cornell leaves behind to cherish his memory: wife of seventeen years, Catherine Rogers-Hall; son, Darcy Hall (Barbara); daughter, Sharon Tyler (Donald); stepson, Pastor Eddie Thomas (Brenda); stepdaughter, Tina Thompson (Michael); sisters, Irene Dismuke and Patricia Freow (Ernie); brother, Leon Hall (Carolyn); grandchildren, Darnell Williams (Andrea); Shonell King (Steve), Steven Simpson, Brandon Hayes, Cheree Thomas, Amanda Thomas; Thomas Jackson, Eddie B. Thomas (Michelle), Scott Thomas, and Sandy Nguyen; great-grandchildren, Darnell Williams Jr., Cameron Williams, Alayna Johnson and David Rump, and a host of nieces, nephews, and friends.  Cornell will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and all who knew him