John Lawton Hall

John Lawton Hall, age 92, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, October 31, 2023.

John led an exceptional life in his 92 years on earth. A steadfast pillar to his family, work, and community; his was a life without limit - full of both art and numbers; travel and deep roots. He is remembered with an unwavering smile and cheerful personality.

John was born in Knoxville, Tennessee on February 26, 1931, to Lawton J. Hall and Gladys Sears Hall. He went fishing with his dad often as a boy and passed that interest to his family. When his mother remarried to Arthur F. Geele, Jr. in 1940, they lived in Atlanta, then later moved to Danville, Kentucky where he would meet the love of his life, Anna Louise Carroll. They met when Anna tripped John to get his attention when he was leaving a church youth group event. Anna and John were a perfect pair, marrying on October 24, 1953, in Macon, Georgia. They remained happily married for 65 years, until her passing in May 2019.

John graduated from the University of Kentucky in 1953 with a BS in Commerce where he was a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. He would remain a lifelong UK fan, often sporting Kentucky Blue. After graduating, he was commissioned as First Lieutenant in the US Army and he and Anna lived in Monterey Bay, California where he was stationed for the first two years of his service. He served in the US Army as a First Lieutenant until June 1961 when he was honorably discharged. He received his MBA from Ball State University in 1961 and achieved his CPA in 1967.

During his distinguished career, he was an accountant at Price Waterhouse, a finance director and plant manager at Ball Corporation, the chief financial officer at Bio Dynamics and its successor organizations of Boehringer Mannheim, US, and Roche Diagnostics, US, CFO of The Wholesale Club which later merged with Walmart, and, finally, the CFO and co-owner of Schwab Safe Company.

John found great joy in his artistic-driven hobbies. He was a gifted painter and drew with chalk. He loved all music, particularly jazz, as well as art, tennis, golf, reading, crossword puzzles, and games. He especially loved playing checkers, chess, and Uno with his family. All these activities will always be linked to his personality and memories of his life. He also loved traveling with his wife, Anna. Some of their favorite places to visit were Carmel, California, Fort Myers Beach, Florida, and Europe on many business trips. He loved photography and carried his cameras everywhere he went and traveled.

John was a survivor. He survived America’s deadliest hotel fire at the Winecoff Hotel in Atlanta in 1946, escaping and helping his mother and four-year-old sister to safety in the room above when he was only 14 years old. He also fought Parkinson’s Disease for the better part of two decades. He was active in service to his community and church, serving on the Weekday Ministry Board of Geist Christian Church after he retired.

The family wants to express a special thank you to Marilyn Owens and Andrew Hicks from Senior Home Companions who both took excellent care of our dad during the last several years of his life. They went above and beyond the normal care duties.

He is survived by two daughters, Betty (Steve) Sterrett of Indianapolis, IN, Cathy (Steve) Biette of Carmel, IN, seven grandchildren, Michael (Candice) Biette of West Orange, NJ, Diana (Jerrod) Nolting of Carmel, IN, Kim (Spencer) Seaitz of Indianapolis, IN, Jeff (Jamie) Sterrett of New York City, NY, Jennifer (George) Kowalski of Emmaus, PA, Leo (Sydney) Biette of Memphis, TN, and Sarah Biette of Westfield, MA, brother-in-law Arthur Richard (Mac) Carroll of Brooksville, FL, nieces Anna (Mike) Ash of Jenson Beach, FL, Beth McCullough of Temple Trace, FL, nephews Lee (Jennifer) Bryant of Tampa, FL, Arthur Richard Carroll Jr. of Dade City, FL, and seven great-grandchildren, Avery Seaitz (7), Harold Biette (5), Aiden Seaitz (4), Celia Nolting (4), Isabelle Kowalski (3), Thomas Biette (2), and Sam Biette (9 months), and several great-nieces and great-nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Anna Louise Carroll Hall, his parents and step-parent, Lawton Hall, Gladys Geele, and Arthur F. Geele, Jr., his sister Esther Bryant, brother-in-law Dudley Bryant, sister-in-law Margaret Earle Carroll, sister-in-law Betty Marie Hall, brother-in-law Russell Hall, and nephew Clay Hall.

A celebration of life will be held on Tuesday, November 28th, 2023 at 11 a.m. at Geist Christian Church located at 8550 Mud Creek Road, Indianapolis, IN. Visitation will be held prior to the service from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Geist Christian Church. Following the service, the family invites you to continue the celebration of John’s life with lunch at Old Oakland Golf Course located at 11611 E. 75th Street in Indianapolis.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Geist Christian Church, the Indiana Parkinson Foundation, and Senior Home Companions.