Glenna M. Hall

December 1, 1924 - December 12, 2025

Glenna M. Hall, born December 1, 1924, in Virginia, passed away on December 12, 2025, at the age of 101. She was a resident of Downey, California, for 53 years.

Glenna was the third of seven children born to Dewey Wright and Ada Richards. A child of the Great Depression, she embraced hard work, resourcefulness and Christian faith, which guided her throughout her life.

During World War II, she supported the war effort by working at a gunpowder plant. In 1943, she met Army soldier F.C. “Joe” Hall, whom she married in 1944. After the war, they settled in Seattle, WA, where their son, Lawrence, was born, and then relocated to Los Angeles.

In 1961, Glenna appeared on the Queen for a Day show. She won, and the show granted her heartfelt wish: to provide new coats, shoes, bicycles, and a wood-burning cook stove for her six nieces and nephews in rural Virginia, who were motherless after the untimely death of her younger sister, Frances.

Glenna was actively involved in church life, co-leading a youth group with her husband and later serving as church organist. She hand-made clothes, including her daughter-in-law’s wedding dress. She transformed her talent for fashion into a career at J.C. Penney on Pacific Blvd., where she advanced from sales associate to manager of the sportswear department in recognition of her leadership, work ethic and impeccable style.

In 1979, after her husband was diagnosed with cancer believed to be caused by on-the-job asbestos exposure, Glenna fiercely advocated for worker safety and accountability. Her commitment to justice inspired her granddaughter to pursue a career in law.

Glenna is survived by her brother, Dewey Wright Jr., and sister-in-law, Willie Belle; her son, Lawrence Hall, and daughter-in-law, Anna; her granddaughter, Maria Hall and grandson-in-law, Craig Paup; and her grandson, Michael Hall.