Mary Alice Hunter Hall, 97, of Townsend, DE, formerly of West Collingswood, Oaklyn, and Magnolia New Jersey, and Coplay Pa., passed away on Tuesday, June 11th 2024 at Christiana Hospital, Newark, DE.

She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 28, 1926, the daughter of the late George Frederick Geckle and Marjorie Grellett Hunter.

Mary loved her parents and siblings. She often talked about how at the age of 14 she would take the ferry (and she would be the only girl on the ferry) from Pennsauken to Philadelphia to meet her father after work and they would go to the Reading Terminal for lunch or breakfast. She would tell us how they walked everywhere as they did not have a car and how she loved helping her dad with the chickens they had.

Mary spent much of her life taken care of her husband who had a stroke in 1963 at the age of 43. She taught him along with her 2 younger children how to read, write, eat, and do all that was needed to help him overcome his handicap. When Mert had his stroke the hospital recommended, he go to a nursing home but Mary refused and said he was going home with her and she would take care of him. She did not see it as a hinderance she saw it as an opportunity to help the man she loved. She not only took care of Mert she was an inspiration to all of us on how to take whatever situation your dealt with and make the best of it. She would always say if you worry about what is wrong you will never know what you can do with what you have.

Mary always found time for her children as she was a brownie leader, a cub scout den mother, and she helped worked the concession stand at the Magnolia Little League as well as help at all functions at the Magnolia United Methodist Church. She was a member of the Magnolia United Methodist Church, the Magnolia Ladies Fire Auxiliary and the Magnolia Little League. When she moved to Delaware, she was a regular at the Middletown Senior Center where she enjoyed the fellowship as well as craft days, bowling days, and her favorite day was mini golf day where she really enjoyed her cup of vanilla ice cream. Mary always had time for everyone else, no matter how tough her life was if you needed something she was always looking for a way to help. She loved each and every one of her grandchildren, great grandchildren and great-great grandchildren as well and would do anything for them at any time. She wanted nothing but the best for them and was proud of each one and she loved the time that they could get together and talk whether it was in person or on the phone.

Mary loved her Philadelphia Phillies. She loved talking about them at any time with anyone. She loved talking about the good old days with Johnny Callison and Cookie Rojas, Mike Schmidt, and her all-time favorite The Bull Greg Luzinski. She got to meet the Bull one night at a Phillies game where her son had to drag her back to her seat as she would have talked to him all night long. One thing that was consistent was when the Phillies would lose, she always would blame the bullpen. She would always say why did the manager take out the pitcher or why did he bring in that pitcher. It was always the fault of the bullpen when they lost!

Mary loved her cats and her favorite would be the one who was living with her at that time. There were so many and she loved when Zoe Zoe would cuddle up next to her at night and sleep with her or would sit with her so she could pet her. She was always worried about Teddy as well her grand dog who lived in North Carolina who she loved to play ball with.

She was predeceased by her husband, Merton Hall Jr.; children, Donald Hall and Sandra Vacca; grandson Steven Neidl; and her siblings, Helen Wood, Anna Danhardt, and Lewis Geckle.

She is survived by her son, Mark Hall (Joan); grandchildren, Cheryl Atkinson (Ron), Don Hall Jr. (Dona), Tracy Hall, Mark Hall Jr. (Sarah), Nichole Jones (Ron), Amy Griffin (Craig), Allyson Averell (Mark); great-grandchildren, Robbie, Aaron, Jason, Joe, Kyle, Charlie, Emily, Christian, Patrick, Zoey, Jackson, Abby, Brendan, and Pixie Lee; 15 great-great-grandchildren.

A visitation will be held 9 AM Monday June 24 at Lifehouse Church, 101 Karins Blvd., Townsend, DE, with funeral services beginning at 10 AM. Interment will follow at Harleigh Cemetery, 1640 Haddon Ave, Camden, NJ at 12:30 PM.

Mark and Joan would like to thank Christiana Hospital, Cadia Broadmeadow, Dr Anthony Clay of Cardiology Physicians, and Christiana Hospital Hospice for taking such good medical care of Mary.

To sign the online guestbook, please click the tab marked "Guestbook".

Arrangements are by Matthews–Bryson Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Smyrna.