Robert “Keith” Hall

Robert “Keith” Hall GOSHEN — Robert “Keith” Hall, 69, of Goshen, New Hampshire, passed away on Dec. 12, 2021, surrounded by his three favorite children, after an arduous year-long battle with cancer. Keith was born on May 6, 1952, to Evart “Curt” and Helenmarie (Peterson) Hall, in Springfield, Massachusetts. After graduating from Wareham High School in 1970, he studied at Cape Cod Community College before beginning his lifelong career in the lumber industry or as he often referred to as “selling sticks.” Work brought him great pleasure, he enjoyed the close relationships he made with his co-workers, customers and suppliers and used his own experience to instill a strong work ethic in his children. In 1976, he married Mary (Nudd) Hall and they had three children, Erin Cote, Ryan Hall and Elizabeth King. In 1987, they moved to Goshen, New Hampshire, where he found great peace and enjoyment in rural living. One of his favorite pastimes included sitting on his front lawn in his Adirondack chair, counting traffic, as he would tell us, but more waving to long-known neighbors and locals. Keith as a young man was a wild spirit and it was after parenthood finally settled him down, he became determined to provide for his family and give them the life he felt they deserved. His family meant more to him than anything else in the world, something he often mentioned. He was unendingly proud of his children and grandchildren, and always did his best to support them. He received endless pleasure from attending their sporting events, sharing his never-ending life lessons with his oldest, gardening with his granddaughter or getting regular reports on the antics of his youngest in northern Vermont. Keith was an avid sports fan. His greatest passion was watching his children and grandchildren play sports; second to that was his beloved New England teams, Red Sox, Celtics and Patriots. He could be content watching any game. He was also a voracious reader. As a young child, he read encyclopedias for pleasure and his mother would remind anyone who would hear her that he tested at the genius level. Beside his regular novels, he consumed a minimum of two newspapers a day. All of these things combined made him a man with a mind full of random knowledge. Long before there was Google, there was Keith. He could be counted on for usually knowing the answer and if not, he quickly made one up on the spot that seemed legitimate. He also was a scratch ticket aficionado. In his later years, he had given up most of his vices but continued with a daily scratch ticket when he picked up his newspapers. He also had a great sense of humor (especially to him) and could often be heard laughing to himself at his own jokes! The ones he did choose to share were not often politically correct but he still got a great chuckle out of them. Anyone who knew Keith knew he was the most loving father and grandfather a family could ask for. Family and friends were the most important thing to him. He was close with his aunts, uncles and cousins; these lifelong relationships carried him to the end. Keith was predeceased by his father, Evart Curt Hall. He is survived by his mother, Helenmarie Hall, Sunapee, New Hampshire; brother, Curt Hall (Pam), Wareham, Massachusetts; sister, Judy Hall (Steve Parsons), Middleboro, Massachusetts; daughter, Erin Cote (Anthony), Springfield, New Hampshire; son, Ryan Hall (Liz), Goshen, New Hampshire; daughter, Elizabeth King (Jonathan), Essex Junction, Vermont; his grandchildren, Andrew Houde, Ethan Houde, Kentin Rowell, Jackson Cote, Natalie Hall, Cole Hall, Isabelle King and Addison King; as well as several cousins, nieces and nephews. Visiting hours will be held at the Stringer Funeral Home, 146 Broad St. in Claremont on Thursday, Dec. 23, from 1 to 3 p.m. A prayer service will follow at 3 p.m. Burial will be held in the spring in Mill Village Cemetery in Goshen, New Hampshire. To view an online memorial or send a private message of condolence, visit www.stringerfh.com. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to American Cancer Society or Lake Sunapee VNA.