Mary Hall

Mary Hall was born August 1, 1943, in Tallahassee, Florida, the first child of Mary Frances Lamb Heaton and Thomas Albert Heaton. She died in Atlanta May 8, 2012, after a 3-year battle with lung cancer. Mary was an Army/Air Force "brat", and lived in Tallahassee, Atlanta, Tokyo, Albuquerque, Orlando, East Point, and Tucker. Mary graduated in 1961 from Russell High School in East Point before beginning her career in Georgia state government. She was an assistant to Secretary of State Ben Fortson until she was lured away by Carroll Hart, the Director of the State Department of Archives and History, where she served as the Director's assistant, and later in Records Management, retiring after 34 years. While there, she was instrumental in establishing and improving Georgia's programs for preserving and protecting governmental records at the state, county, and local levels, for the organization and operation of the state's genealogical holdings and research facilities, and for the securing, organization, and preservation of Civil War military records. She served in many capacities, including president, with the American Records Management Association.
All of her life, Mary was attentive to the needs of those less fortunate than her. She was never able to pass by a stray (kitten, dog, or person) without reaching out to help in some way. She contributed to those causes where she could, making donations to museums and charitable societies and causes, and serving as she had the time in PTAs, church organizations and choirs. One of her most personally rewarding missions was working with the Save the Fox Theater campaign. She accepted Jesus as her Savior while at Ben Hill Methodist Church, and was a long time member of Rehoboth Baptist Church in Tucker, where she sang in the choir until health considerations prevented continuing. Mary loved to travel. Besides the places she was able to see growing up, she loved to spend time at the beach and in the mountains—a life's highlight was a trip to the Holy Land. Of all the things she saw and did, and the places she went, there were places she wanted to see, people she wanted to meet, things she wanted to do, and gifts she wanted to give. Those will remain for others. She is survived by: her mother, Mary Heaton of Tucker; her children, Sherri Hall of Loganville and David Hall (Renee) of Watkinsville; her brother, Tom Heaton (Linda) of Tucker; five grandchildren, Adam, Katie, and Jackson Wright, Mary Beth and Madison Hall; her dear friend and former husband Harold Hall, and numerous nieces, nephews, aunts, and cousins. Her granddaughter McKenzie Hall died in infancy. Funeral services will be held at the chapel at Turner's 0n Friday, May 11, 2012 at 10:300 a.m. with Rev. James Barnes officiating. Interment will follow at the Nancy Hart Memorial Cemetery in Hartwell a 2:30 p.m. The family will receive friends Thursday 6-8 p.m. at A.S. Turner and Sons Funeal Home and Crematory.


Funeral Home:
A. S. Turner & Sons
2773 North Decatur Road
Decatur, GA
30033