Wilfred Hamilton “Bill” Hall, 93, of Rye, New Hampshire passed away peacefully on March 19, 2019.

Bill was born on Sept. 13, 1925 in Salem, Massachusetts to Wilfred and Eleanor (Mack) Hall. Preceding him in death is the love of his life Emily (Heizer) Hall, whom he married on Nov. 21, 1953 in Marblehead, Mass. He is survived by a daughter, Barbara Ann Hall; a son, James H. (Renee) Hall; three grandchildren; a great-granddaughter; a sister, Holly (Wendell) Green; sister-in-law, Barbara Williams; and many nieces and nephews.

Bill was a 1945 graduate of Marblehead High School and a 1957 graduate of Harvard Business School with an MBA in business. After high school, Bill served in the U.S. Army Air Corps for 3½ years, entering into serve at the end of World War II. He concluded his service on the staff of Gen. Russell E. Randall during the American occupation in China.

Upon being discharged from the Air Corps, he joined the family business, Hall’s Heat Headquarters in Salem, Mass. While living in Salem, he was active in Salem town affairs. After receiving his MBA, Bill became the administrative asst. to Horace Davenport, the VP of Consolidated Coal Co. He eventually moved to president of the Independent Oil Men’s Assoc., representing oil and gasoline wholesalers in six New England states, as well as becoming president of the National Oil Jobbers’ Council in Washington, D.C. While there he testified before Congressional committees on several occasions. Bill also was editor of the “National Oil Jobbers” and “Yankee Oil Man” magazines.

Bill and family returned to New Castle Island in New Hampshire where he founded Acorn Consultants which handles clients of foreign and national companies and also operated the Independent Oil Men’s Association of New England. He held a presidential position with Better Home Heat Council of New Hampshire, as well as founded and owned Jiffy Copy Center in Portsmouth, N.H. Bill also served as New Castle selectman and town moderator for several years before semi-retiring on the island that he held dear.

Bill spent much of his life in charitable and philanthropic activities. He served as director of the Salem and Beverly YMCAs, the Salem Chamber of Commerce, where he was co-author of the Historic Trail in Salem, a board member of the Strawbery Banke Museum in Portsmouth, N.H., past commodore of the Kittery Point Yacht Club, past rear commodore of the Portsmouth Yacht Club, served on the board of the Boothbay Harbor Yacht Club, and a lifetime member of the Jackson, N.H. Historical Society. He was president of the Salem Rotary Club, life member of the Essex Lodge of Masons, a member of the New England Council Fuels and Energy committee, and fuels chair of the Office of Emergency planning. Bill was named “Oilman of the Year” by the New Hampshire Petroleum Council, and recognized by two governors of New England for his work during the 1973 and 1978 oil shortage crisis. In 1987, Bill was also recognized for his “Outstanding Service” by the Petroleum Board of Trade in Laconia, N.H.

Bill and Emily were avid sailors and skiers. They enjoyed extensive travel in the United States in connection with his stewardship of the National Oil Jobbers Council. They also enjoyed traveling internationally and spending time in Hawaii and Florida.

Bill actively supported a wide variety of charities. He also volunteered for the New Castle Historical Society and at Fort Stark in New Castle in his later years.

Interment will be at a later date in the New Castle Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Strawbery Banke Museum, P.O. Box 300, Portsmouth, NH 03802 noting that the gift is in memory of Bill Hall or via the internet at https://strawbery-banke-museum.simpletix.com/Donations/

Arrangements are by the Remick & Gendron Funeral Home-Crematory, Hampton.