Robert Bruce Hall, born on January 27, 1921, in Wheeling, West Virginia, was a distinguished Episcopal bishop known for his leadership and contributions to the church. He was the son of Mary Hazlett and Kent Hall. Hall pursued higher education at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, and later graduated from the Episcopal Theological Seminary in Cambridge, Massachusetts. During World War II, Hall served in the U.S. Army in the Pacific theater, working in the intelligence section from 1943 to 1946. After the war, he was ordained as a deacon in June 1949 and as a priest in May 1950. Hall served as curate, associate rector, and later rector of Trinity Church in Huntington, West Virginia, before becoming rector of St. Chrysostom's Church in Chicago in 1958. In 1966, he was elected and consecrated as the Coadjutor Bishop of Virginia, with the right of succession. He became the Bishop of Virginia in 1974, a position he held until his death. Hall was known for his progressive stance on the ordination of women and his efforts to address his own struggles with alcohol addiction. He passed away on May 27, 1985, in Richmond, Virginia, and is buried in Lakeview Cemetery in Willsboro, New York. Hall's legacy as a compassionate and forward-thinking leader continues to be remembered.
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