Pat Hall, a legendary builder in Island and B.C. field hockey and softball, died this month at age 87.
“Pat was a force,” said Nancy Mollenhauer, who came out of the Victoria field hockey community to play in the 1984 Los Angeles and 1988 Seoul Olympic Games.
“Her contributions, the years she put in for the betterment of sport, are immeasurable.”
Hall served as a coach, umpire and administrator for more than 40 years. She umpired field hockey from 1973 to 2000 and co-founding the South Island Field Hockey Umpires Association. Hall served on the executive of the Vancouver Island Ladies Field Hockey Association from 1961 to 1988 and also with Field Hockey B.C., Field Hockey Canada, South Island Umpires Association and the Victoria Junior Field Hockey Association.
“Pat was around as long as I have been playing — and she did it all for the good of the game,” said Shelley Andrews of Victoria, who co-captained Canada in four World Cups and the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
“She was so committed to and passionate about our sport.”
Hall’s accolades included winning the VILFH Christine Trophy four times for combining sportsmanship, service and playing ability. She was also honoured by Field Hockey B.C. with the Barbara Schrodt Award for those who have made an impact in the sport provincially, the Gold Pin Volunteer Award and the Sport B.C. President’s Award. She was awarded a VILFHA Life Membership and VILFHA inaugurated the Pat Hall Officials Development Award in 2013. Hall was inducted into the Victoria Sports Hall of Fame and also the B.C. and Canadian field hockey halls of fame.
Hall could also be found during springs and summers, beginning in 1960, scorekeeping late into the evenings at Central Park with the Stuffy McGinnis men’s softball league and at MacDonald Park for the Independent Athletics Association softball league. She took on the PA announcing and statistician roles for the Independent league in 1963 and became president of the amalgamated Independent and Victoria Major Men’s Leagues at Central Park in 1975 and served through 1993. She also helped create a new constitution for the MacDonald Park Men’s Softball League in 1995.
Hall was the provincial senior co-ordinator of District 1 for Softball B.C. from 1986 to 2006, organizing men’s, women’s and mixed district and provincial tournaments on the Lower Island. Hall held executive positions at MacDonald Park until her retirement from softball in 2010.
“My mom had such passion and love for sports and the people in it,” said daughter Denise Hall.
“She was the true meaning of the word volunteer.”
Pat Hall was also involved in baseball, a sport in which her son Marty Hall made it to Double-A as a pro and grandson Tyrus Hall to the Canadian junior national team and U-18 World Cup and as a current member of the Victoria HarbourCats of the West Coast League. Pat Hall was a scorekeeper for the Maverick Men’s Baseball League at Lambrick Park as part of her myriad sporting roles.
Pat Hall is survived by daughters Denise and Donna and son Marty and grandchildren Ryan, Taleesha, Tyrus, Tracy and Atlas.
A celebration of life will be announced.
