Paul Anthony Hall's Obituary
Paul Anthony Hall of Lakeland, Florida, gained his heavenly wings on Sunday, February 5th surrounded by his loved ones after a brave fight against Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.
Paul was born the only child to James and Edna Hall on December 15, 1953 in St. Louis, Missouri. Paul lived his childhood in Cahokia, Illinois and attended school at the Holy Family Church where his father, James had the pleasure of working for 20 plus years. He continued his education earning his Bachelor’s degree at the University of Missouri, his Master’s degree from Washington University, and his PhD from LaSalle University. Since the age of 5, Paul knew he wanted to be a scientist which led him to a very successful career as a Global Food Safety Professional. He began his career at Ralston Purina as a microbiologist. Throughout the years, he progressed to various management roles and held positions including Vice President of Food Safety at ConAgra Foods and Flying Foods group. His hard work and dedication to food safety impacted companies such as Ralston Purina, Anheuser-Busch, Kraft Foods, ConAgra Foods, and Flying Foods Group.
For the past 15 years, he also provided independent expert microbiological technical services as President of AIV Microbiology and Food Safety, Inc. He was recognized for his professional achievements with many industry awards and accolades, most recently a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Association for Food Protection.
Throughout his career, he was considered an expert and generous mentor, helping people at all stages of their profession further develop their own careers. As a testament to this, it was very easy to say that “Paul knew everybody”, since no matter which industry or food safety meeting he attended, he was consistently surrounded by friends and colleagues. As a frequent keynote speaker, Paul could always be counted on to approach the topic with expertise, humor, and a bit of irreverence, while underneath all that, a deep knowledge of food safety and microbiology. He was a great example to anyone just entering the food safety profession, serving as an inspiration to so many people over the years. It would be very difficult to estimate the number of food safety professionals around the world who benefited from Paul’s guidance, and his absence will be strongly felt in the industry. Not only did Paul have an effect on those around him, but through his work he impacted millions of people worldwide.
In Paul’s personal life, he had always wished for a large family. He was fortunate to have raised three beautiful daughters who he was very proud of. In 2015, Paul married his wife and best friend, Jennifer and began raising his two step-sons, which gave him the sons he never had. He was able to finally have the big family he had always wished for.
In his spare time, Paul enjoyed playing golf, traveling the world, and drinking a good glass of scotch or wine. He was especially known for his avid love of the St. Louis Cardinals. More than anything, he loved to spend time with his friends and family, whether it was eating good food or attending a Jimmy Buffet concert; all that mattered to him was that he was surrounded by those he loved.
Paul was preceded in death by his mom, Edna and his dad, James. He is survived by his wife, Jennifer Cabanog Hall, his children Erin Morris, Kelsey Meiners, Chloe Hall, and step-children Joshua and Benjamin Goetz; his son-in-laws Jesse Morris and Brett Meiners; and his grandchildren Rylee and Grace Morris, and Nora Meiners. Paul’s legacy is one of generosity, hard work, honesty, and laughter. He will be deeply missed.
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