James A. Hall

James A. Hall, 82, of Choctaw, OK passed away on 9/11/2023. He was born on 12/24/1940 in Tryon, OK to Virgil and Lorraine Hall. James attended Tryon Schools until 1957. The family briefly lived in Edmond before relocating and settling in Perkins, OK. Here James attended high school and was captain of the basketball team and active in track and field including high jump and shotput events. He graduated from Perkins in 1959. He had several jobs in high school and summers from rough necking to traveling to multiple states at harvest time with his good friend Frank Spillars and his brothers Larry and Gerald. He even helped build the municipal pool in Scott City, Kansas with Frank and Gerald after working the Harvest there. They helped build I-35 north of the Cimarron River as well. He worked at Payne County Bank while attending college at OSU.

He met the love of his life, Shirley Jean Porter in 1965, and they were married that same year on Sept. 6, 1965. They had two daughters, Cindy and Kristi. He taught the girls basketball and softball and coached as well. He was active as a member of the Perkins-Tryon School Board, where he also served as President. James worked at the State Vo-Tech Department, Indian Meridian Vo-Tech, and Metro Tech. He was one of the foremost experts in school financing in Oklahoma and was sought out by Superintendents of both vocational schools and public schools across the state for his expertise. He retired from Metro Tech in 2004 where he was the Assistant Superintendent of Finance. He was very well respected in the Vo-Tech (now Career-Tech) community and had many friendships in that community that he maintained for his entire life.

James had a lifelong love of horses. He spent time breeding and racing Quarter horses throughout the 1970s and 80’s across Oklahoma and Kansas. After Remington Park opened in 1989, he and his brother Gerald owned and raced many horses under Hall Brothers Racing in multiple states and participated in buying and breeding horses which they sold and shipped all across the United States.

James was a loving and supportive Husband, Father, Grandfather, Uncle and friend. He never hesitated to help anyone one in need, whether they were family, friend or stranger. He was greatly loved and will be tremendously missed. He was preceded in death by his parents Lorraine and Virgil Hall of Perkins, sister Sheri Hall and brother Larry Hall, both of Perkins, and wife Shirley Hall of Choctaw. He is survived by daughters Dr. Cindy Hall and husband Lamont Sitton of Meeker and Kristi Hall of Choctaw, Grandsons Aiden Hall of Choctaw and Colton Sitton of Meeker, Brothers Gerald Hall and wife Patricia of Benbrook, TX and Randy Hall and wife Cheryl of Perkins, OK, Aunt Virginia King of Midwest City, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Funeral Services will be Saturday September 16th at 2:00 pm at Lost Creek United Methodist Church, Stillwater with Reverend Max Rudd officiating. Dighton-Marler Funeral home is handling the arrangements.