David Custer Hall, a longtime Chicago resident, businessman and supporter of the arts and the LGBT community, died suddenly Sept. 10 at his home in Lakeview. He was 67.
Hall grew up in North Vernon, Ind., where he formed an early love of music, and for years he played the oboe. He earned his Bachelor's degree from Indiana University and his Master's Degree from Northwestern. Hall taught and directed the high school band in Three Oaks, Mich.
For several years, Hall taught humanities at Wright Junior College. In the mid-1970s, with a partner, he began a small real estate development business on the North Side. Hall's interest in, and commitment to, real estate development in Chicago grew to become his very successful professional career, first as a sales associate and ultimately as senior vice president and managing broker in the Lincoln Park Plaza office of Coldwell Banker, one of the top sales producing offices in the country. Hall served a term as President of the Chicago Board of Realtors, and in 2002 was named Chicago Realtor of the Year.
"I don't know where to begin to express what David meant to me personally, to this company and to all of [ us ] ," said Coldwell Banker colleague Fran Broude. "He was the epitome of professionalism in his career, an inspiration to all of us and a friend unlike any other. We will all miss him terribly.
"I've been with David Hall's Coldwell Banker office for 13 years. Having sold residential real estate in Chicago for almost 20 years, I've had the opportunity to work under quite a few managing brokers. None affected my life and career as much as David [ has ] . He was a mentor and friend. He was always available to his agents to discuss anything from trends in the market to the newest sushi restaurants. His knowledge and expertise was invaluable. He was a truly iconic figure in the real estate community. His passion for the industry was contagious."
Hall was passionate about the opera, and his progress from a balcony seat at the Chicago Lyric Opera in 1970 to five front-row seats for the past 15 years traced his rising success as a businessman.
In 1991, Hall fulfilled a longtime ambition of riding his bicycle across the country. He was a world traveler, visiting more than 35 countries, always in the company of friends who shared his enthusiasm for seeing the places of the world and experiencing their cultures. He often said that he was living the life he envisioned for himself as a boy growing up in a small town in Indiana.
"When I considered transferring to a Coldwell Banker office in Chicago, I contacted David and we met for coffee," Broude said. "We had a wonderful conversation about the real estate business and the differences in suburban [ and ] city real estate. He was so smart about the business and I wanted to be in his office to learn as much as I could from him. Many times, I'd knocked on his office door to seek his advice and he'd receive me with a big smile....always willing to take time out of his busy schedule, to answer a question or two."
The family requests that gifts in memory of David Hall be made to the Hollister-Hall Scholarship Fund, Jennings County Community Foundation, 265 East Main, North Vernon, Ind., 47265.