Adele Hall Dies, 'First Lady of Kansas City' Mourned
Adele Hall, deemed the "First Lady of Kansas City," died on Saturday at age 81.
The wife of Hallmark Cards chairman Donald Joyce Hall, Adele was a civic leader and had received some of the city's finest awards over her lifetime.
"If there ever was a first lady of Kansas City, it was Adele," Henry Bloch, founder of H&R Block, told The Kansas City Star. "She was honored and respected by everybody. It's a major loss for this community."
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The Lincoln, Nebraska native collapsed and died unexpectedly at her home in Hawaii on Saturday, according to Hallmark Cards spokesman Steve Doyal. Hall had just had breakfast with her husband and "was working on email when she suddenly felt light-headed and collapsed," Doyal told the Associated Press.
Hall was the first woman to be president of the Heart of American United Way as well as the first female recipient of the Kansas Citian of the Year award. She also served on the board of Children's Mercy Hospital and the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation.
"Adele was interested in a broad range of community needs with a special passion for the needs of children," said Doyal in a statement. "She was tireless working toward those interests in any capacity needed- as visionary board chairman, energetic champion and catalyst for change, hard-working committee member, dedicated fund-raiser or hands on volunteer."
The philanthropist is being mourned on Twitter Tuesday, with many paying respects to Hall for her charitable efforts.
"Adele Hall, KC royalty and friend of George H.W. Bush, has passed," posted Steve. "On of the greatest philanthropists. Huge loss for the KC area."
Wildwood Outdoors wrote, "Our sympathy goes out to the Hall family. Mrs. Hall leaves a legacy of caring that is unmatched in #KansasCity."
"So saddened by loss of philanthropist & kind spirit Adele Hall," added Patti. "Her generosity & leadership shaped Kansas City. She was an angel among us."
Hallmark Cards posted a tweet: "Remembering Adele Hall, our chairman's wife, CEO's mother & tireless champion of children in Hallmark's hometown."
Hall and her husband were married for nearly 60 years. She leaves behind her husband and their two sons as well as several grandchildren.
