G. Edward (Ed) Hall

The President Emeritus of Local 180, the Musicians’ Association of Ottawa-Hull, passed away on March 27, 2000, at the age of 77. To his wife of 54 years, Jeanetta, his sons Douglas, Robert and Donald, his grandchildren Jeanetta, Alicia, Jennie and Eddie, and all the other members of the family, we wish to express our heartfelt sympathies. We will all miss Ed.

Ed Hall lived a life that was blessed with many opportunities and challenges, and he made the best of it through hard work and his innate enthusiasm and consideration of others. He left school early in life, joined the army and became a musician. He raised a family while working two careers, and later, in retirement, he worked tirelessly for the AFM, the Musicians’ Association of Ottawa-Hull, and many other people and organizations.

An avid golfer, a born scenic photographer, a terrific musician, a traveller, an enthusiastic reader of local history and geography, a lover of music, especially the music of big bands, a thoughtful and humorous contributor to letters to the editor of numerous newspapers, an ardent grammarian who used English artfully to make serious points or to make a joke, gifted with an infectious sense of humour and the ability to tell a story, a punster, a person who always enjoyed the company of others – Ed was all of these things and more.

He especially loved the camaraderie of the many bands in which he played: army bands, post-war military gigs, nightclub gigs at the Gatineau Club, the Chaudière Club, the National Arts Centre, the Central Canada Exhibition, July 1st celebrations, Camp Fortune, the Orpheus Society, the circus, New Year’s events, numerous royal visits – a fantastic array of experience with so many life-long friends! We were very fortunate to have had him in our midst.

Source: News Harp, June 2000