Dorothy Mary Greenwood Hall

Dorothy Mary Greenwood Hall died peacefully on March 5, 2025, at age 97 years at home in Escondido, California. Dorothy was born in the small town of Clayville, Rhode Island to David and Alice (Stewart) Greenwood. She attended school in a one-room schoolhouse which was later converted to the town post office which still stands today.

As a young woman, Dorothy worked at the US Rubber Company in Providence R.I. One of her daily duties was to ride a bicycle through the complex delivering mail to the various buildings and departments. The US Rubber Company Complex is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Dorothy met her husband, Clarence, at a local dance. He was a Navy ROTC student at Brown University. After his graduation, they married in 1947. Clarence served in Korea on the USS Hamner. After his tour ended, they settled in Southern California.

They had nine children. Dorothy was always involved in youth activities. She was a Little League baseball scorekeeper, a High School Booster, a Cub Scout Den Mother, a PTA member, and a Room Mother. She baked hundreds of cupcakes.

The family moved to Escondido in 1971. Dorothy worked for the Times Advocate Newspaper in the circulation department supervising newspaper carriers. The circulation manager needed to hire a supervisor and noticed 3 exceptional carriers with the Hall surname. After further investigation, he discovered they were all brothers and their mother was Dorothy. Since Dorothy appeared more than qualified, he offered her the job. Dorothy worked for the Times Advocate for 20 years until her retirement in 1993. Many newspaper carriers will attest to their success later in life to the lessons they learned from Mrs. Hall, and that is to have a good attitude and be proud of a job well done.

After 48 years of marriage, Clarence passed away in 1995. Soon after, she started to explore the Escondido Senior Center and almost immediately volunteered to help serve the daily lunches for the Senior Nutrition Program. She served lunches for 22 years until age 90.

She loved ballroom dancing and attended many Escondido and San Marcos Senior-sponsored dances. She soon met Ansdale Henricus. They remained dance partners for 11 years until his death in 2007.

With her reputation of being a wonderful dancer, she met Arthur Smith, and they were partners until his death in 2017.

During her retirement, she traveled the world visiting Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, Central America, Australia, England, and Europe. She cruised Alaska, and the Caribbean and traveled through the Panama Canal more than once, always expanding her horizons.

Dorothy has 12 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great-grandchildren. She never misses a birthday and is known for including a crisp $1 bill in every card. A tradition she inherited from her Aunt Geneva Stewart.

Dorothy is predeceased in death by her husband Clarence Hall (1995), her son Darryl Hall (1994), and daughters, Christine (1952) and Sylvia Hall (2021). She is survived by her sons, Bruce (Christine) Hall of Huntington Beach, CA; Willard (Bonne Bayne) Hall of Vista, CA; David Hall of Tucson, AZ; Craig (Ellen Cross) Hall of Oakland, CA, Alex (Karen) Hall of Carlsbad, CA and her daughter Valarie Hall of Tucson, AZ.

She will be interred at San Marcos Cemetery beside her husband, Clarence.

Instead of flowers, please make donations to the Cal Poly Philanthropic Foundation https://www.cpp.edu/giving/cpp/ by designating the Hall Family Honors Scholarship Endowment in memory of Dorothy Hall (in the “What prompted you to donate” section) for your gift. Or you may mail your gift to Cal Poly Pomona Philanthropic Foundation, ATTN: Carrie Geurts, Sr. Director of Development, P.O. Box 3121, Pomona, CA 91769.