Gary Hall Enjoyed The Serenity And Beauty Of `God's Country'

Gary E. Hall loved to restore the natural beauty of antiques. Antique buildings, antique clocks, antique cars.

The Seattle lawyer was proud of his cherry-red 1951 Chrysler he nicknamed "Miss Daisy." He enjoyed driving family and friends along Lake Washington Boulevard, taking in the scenic vistas of water, trees and mountains.

Sometimes, Mr. Hall rode around the lake in a motorboat or a sailboat, wrapped in serenity.

"Gary totally enjoyed being on Lake Washington, and there was never a time that went by with Mount Rainier showing that he didn't comment on it, and how fortunate we were to live in a place he called `God's Country,' " said longtime friend Buzz Steussy.

Mr. Hall died at Swedish Medical Center Friday from complications caused by AIDS. He was 43.

Born in Kirkland in December 1950, he graduated from the University of Puget Sound Law School in 1978 and began a law practice in Seattle the following year.

Mr. Hall served on many boards, including the Greater Seattle Business Association. In 1992 he received a Certificate of Appreciation from the Seattle-King County Bar Association for providing extensive legal counsel to others through the Volunteer Legal Services Program.

He also gave considerable time to the Volunteers Association for Persons With AIDS and the First Hill Foundation, serving on a committee that placed an antique clock near the corner of Madison Avenue and Minor Street. He also was drawn to Pioneer Square, where his first office was. He advocated the historical district's restoration in the early 1980s.

During the past year, Mr. Hall worked to turn over his law practice to others who would approach the practice with as much passion and concern as he had, Steussy said. Mr. Hall's practice is now run by Doug Martindale, Mr. Hall's companion, and Caroline P. Wanamaker.

"Gary was very much a person who demanded dignity for others whether they be of any race or sexual or ethnic orientation," Martindale said. "And for many, many people he was the example of a whole human being."

Mr. Hall, he added, was non-judgmental, open-minded and willing to learn and listen to others. Furthermore, friends said Mr. Hall was admired for his honesty, his flair for living and his compassion for others.

"He gave relentless hours to people less fortunate," Martindale said, "whether it was economic or social."

Mr. Hall is survived by Martindale, of Seattle; his parents, Wallace and Clara Hall of Bellevue; his brothers, Byron of North Bend, Richard of Bellevue and Wendell of Edmonds, and his sister, Mary Lou Hall of Kirkland.

Mr. Hall requested contributions be made to the Northwest AIDS Foundation and/or Chicken Soup Brigade. A memorial service and celebration of Mr. Hall's life were held yesterday in the main sanctuary of St. Mark's Cathedral on Capitol Hill.