Brig. Gen. (USAF Ret.) Joel T. “Tom” Hall lived a life of service devoted to his country and his family. He passed away quietly in Chandler, Ariz., on June 23, 2026, at the age of 90.
Born in 1935 in Oklahoma City, Okla., to Jim and Lena Hall, Tom, “Tommy” to the Shawnee folks, was a spark, a light, a fire. A natural athlete who excelled at every sport. A schemer who lovingly tortured his brother. A daredevil who took chances and occasionally knocked out his teeth. A young man full of passion and determination. A dreamer who dared to do great things — mission accomplished.
Throughout his life, Tom met every challenge full throttle. Tom was honorably discharged from both the Army and Marines Corps Reserves before joining the United States Air Force. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1961 with a degree in aerospace engineering and would often remind us that he performed calculus with only the assistance of an abacus and/or whiz wheel.
He completed pilot training at Williams Air Force Base, Ariz., and in January 1967, he was assigned to the 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing at Bien Hoa Air Base in the Republic of Vietnam. During his time in Vietnam, Tom was awarded the Silver Star by the president of the United States for gallantry and two Distinguished Flying Cross medals for exceptional airmanship.
Tom was a fighter pilot through and through. He was admired and respected by his fellow service men and women. He was decorated for his bravery and promoted for his leadership, but the medals and professional recognition only tell part of his story. His greatest accomplishment was not his rank or his service, but the life he built as a husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather. In our family, Tom held the highest rank of all. He devoted his life to serving his country for the freedom of his family. There wasn’t anyone he loved more.
As a dad, he treasured time with his children. The time he lost due to military duty he made up for as best he could whenever he was home. Rarely was there a ski trip he missed, and he took great pride in teaching each child how to ski. A friend to both the slopes and the links, he shared his love of golf with his children through evenings at the driving range. After barely surviving being run over by his youngest child in a golf cart, he carried that love of golf into retirement, working as a shop pro and course ranger in Las Vegas.
Never one to sit still, Tom filled his time with woodworking, automotive restoration and repair, pastry and bread baking, and whatever else gave him a reason to stay busy. When feeding the sourdough became too much work, break-and-bake cookies became his pride and joy. Still, nothing brought him greater happiness than having his family together, all pets welcome.
He couldn’t hold back a tear at a family supper when asked to say grace, overcome with gratitude for the gift of our togetherness. Even when his strokes made it difficult for him to remember, he knew his children, his wife, his love for them and the life they shared. And he was always asking to go home.
We pray he is “home now,” welcomed into the arms of the Lord with shouts of acclamation and joy, fully healed and restored, and playing a few rounds with Grandpa and Uncle Jim.
Besides the holes he leaves in our hearts, Tom is survived by his wife, Dian Hall; sons Clay (Tamara) Hall and Casey (Kim) Hall; daughters Jolene (Kenny) Coley and Leslie (Pat) Jackson; grandchildren Justin Coley, Lynsey (Travis) Hurst, Sam (Karinna) Hall, Zach (Bria) Hall, Taylor Hall (Anthony Brausch), William Jackson, Maggie Hall, Ellie Jackson, AJ Hall and Hunter Jackson; step-grandchildren Brittney (Ryan) Gloer, Ben Brettin and Brady Brettin; and great-grandchildren Kobe Williams, Carter Whipkey, Cedric Hall, Oliver Hall, Amelia Hall and River Coley; step-great-grandchildren Judah Gloer, Asher Gloer, Micah Gloer and Landry Gloer. He is preceded in death by his father (Jim), mother (Lena), sister (Jeraldene), brother (Jack), brother (James — also buried in Arlington National Cemetery), son-in-law Kenny Coley and daughter-in-law Barrie Hall.
Tom will be laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery on Dec. 2, 2026, at 11 a.m. with full military funeral honors. Family and friends are warmly invited to attend a reception immediately following the service at Spates Hall, Fort Myer, Va. Kindly RSVP to tomhallfuneral@gmail.com or (702) 544-7321 by Nov. 1.
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