Marion "Mary" Evelyn Hall

Marion Evelyn (Clark) Hall, known to many as Mary, was born to Lillian and Herb Clark in Chester, Pennsylvania on May 2nd, 1953. Throughout her life, Mary took on many roles, all centered around compassionate giving, fairness, and equity. Mary was a true champion of the underdog and of the underprivileged. In elementary school, Mary fought for racial justice, which was incentivized by the acts of her mother, Lillian. In high school, Mary’s vigorous fight for gender equality regarding dress code even caused her to be suspended from school. She humorously recounted this time as a “nice vacation.”

Mary was a hard worker who always tried to keep her hands busy. In 1971, Mary graduated from Lincoln High School in Des Moines. She was a professional waitress at The Pier and Chicago Speakeasy. In Florida, she worked for many years at The Butcher Shop. On her time off, Mary would tend to her garden, check in with family and friends, and often acted as a caretaker to her grandchildren and even neighbors.

Mary kept her spirit alive by connecting with people and with nature. From early on, Mary had a keen sense of the Earth’s beauty and was an adamant lover of the beach, which was her “happy place.” Her affection for the outdoors was also seen through her pride in gardening. Planting beautiful flowers and watching them grow and blossom was a passion of hers. Neighbors and passers-by would often slow down to take note of the beauty beheld in Mary’s manicured yardscapes. Later in life, Mary kept her mind and heart sharp through her love for couponing and getting the “best deal”. Being able to purchase items at a lowered cost allowed her to give friends, family and neighbors various hygiene, personal, and self-care items. Mary consistently took care of others and gave whatever she could to anyone in need.

Left to cherish Mary’s beautiful and honorable memory is her husband, George Hall; son Jason Hammer; stepsons, Ken and Matt Hall; stepdaughters, Gretchen Peters and Sybil Lasha, and their respective spouses, Tamara Hammer-Furbert, Shayne Hall, Scott Peters, and Chad Lasha. Mary's legacy is preserved within her beloved grandchildren Justice, Aaliyah, Scotty, Kelsey, Leah, Marlayna, Zach, Will, Joe, David, Brittany, and Jacob. Also surviving her is her sister JoAnn Smith of Des Moines, Iowa; her brothers Herb Clark of Spring Hill, Florida, and Bob Clark of Carlisle, Iowa. Mary was known as “Doll” to her siblings, and “Aunt Doll” to her many nieces and nephews living in the Des Moines, Iowa area; all of whom will miss her dearly.

Mary passed away on May 6th, 2024, at the age of 71, peacefully at her home in Orlando, Florida after a devastating bout with cancer. A celebration of life will be held on June 30th in the Cocoa Beach, Florida area. Following the memorial service, there will be a family motorcade to spread Mary’s ashes in the Cocoa Beach area.