Great Giants – Slipping Away – Without Honor; Without Notice

For a number of years before his passing, Brother Francis L. Hall lived at the Carroll Manor Nursing Home in Washington, DC – about fifteen minutes from the front door of the Sigma Headquarters. Until his last days, Bro. Hall was fantastically lucid and full of wonderful stories. Once, when the Washington chapters celebrated his birthday at the nursing home, Bro. Hall was on stage – the center of attention – and enjoying every moment of his birthday celebration.

Bro. Hall was full of stories which he told with a dramatic flair – like the story of the time Founder Taylor came to town and asked Bro. Hall if he could come to dinner at his home. Younger members of Sigma need to understand that Founder Taylor’s request took place pre-integration and during the height of World War II when black folks had very few options. Black people could not stay in the downtown hotels and restaurants didn’t allow for our business.

With Founder Taylor’s request, Brother Hall was both honored and scared to death. Founder Taylor wanted to come to dinner and all Bro. Hall and his wife had available was a partially used book of ration stamps – about enough for a purchase of a couple of cans of Spam.

Bro. Hall described his great worry that feeding Spam to a Founder would forever cause him and his wife embarrassment. Fortunately, either Founder Taylor enjoyed the Spam or was very understanding and appreciative that the Halls had given him the very best that they had.

I only visited Bro. Hall a couple of times a year. Kevin Christian visited almost every Sunday that he was in town. Every now and then we were able to take some undergrads to see Brother Hall. Bro. Hall particularly loved to have undergrads visit him.

Over the years, I often asked our presidents to take the General Board to see Brother Hall when they met in Washington. Unfortunately, they were always too busy with international business.

A few weeks before his passing, Kevin shared with me that Bro. Hall had told him that it was clear that he was no longer needed. Kevin was completely devastated because he realized that Bro. Hall recognized that he, and perhaps his life’s work, was no longer appreciated. Bro. Hall never held high office, never was recommended to the DSC. He simply did what the Founders asked, and provided the methodology by which each new Sigma is trained.

Brother Hall passed away on January 20, 2006. To date, no Crescent Magazine has had time to give him a memorial. Maybe he doesn’t deserve a eulogy – since all he did was to co-author the Sigma Light.

Perhaps one day someone will place some flowers on his grave and lament his passing. That will be nice – late; but nice.