Margot Hall

Margot Louise Hall (Kahle) of Salisbury, passed away on May 17, 2017, after a short period of rapidly declining health due to stroke.  Born July 15, 1935, she was the only child of Paul and Reta Kahle of Glen Cove, N.Y. Paul and Reta were both recent immigrants from Germany hoping for a better future than was possible in post-WWI Germany.  An only child, Margot never wanted for anything during her childhood. Though English was not her native language, she was proud to have earned a perfect score on the New York State Regents English exam before graduating from high school.  After a brief modeling career with Elizabeth Arden, Margot attended Elmira College, Elmira, N.Y., where she graduated in 1956.
She is preceded in death by her parents, her first husband Lt. Col. James W. Dopp and their blessed daughters Victoria and Rachel, and her second husband Lowell Hall.  From her first marriage, Margot leaves behind four adored children and 12 cherished grandchildren; son Paul Dopp of Salisbury, MD, and grandchildren Jeannie, Amanda, Ruth, Paul, Joshua and Andrew; son Wesley Kahle and wife Lisa of McGraw, N.Y., and grandchildren Shelby, Tyler, Gabriel and Zachary; son Drew Van Dopp and wife Kelly of Quantico, MD and grandsons Spencer and Jack; and daughter Heidi O’Hara and husband Travis of Charlotte, NC.  From her second marriage she leaves behind five beloved children and seven cherished grandchildren; son Jeff Hall of Syracuse and granddaughter Shawna; son Christopher of Glens Falls, N.Y., and grandsons Justin and Nathan; daughter Stephanie Richardson and husband John of Bristol, RI, and grandchildren Andrew and Lauren; son Scott of Syracuse; and daughter Wendy Milner and husband Thomas of Winston-Salem, NC, and grandsons Quinn and James.
During her working career, Margot was a housewife and homemaker, elementary school teacher and interior designer, but she found her professional passion as a drug and alcohol counselor working in high schools and acute care facilities throughout Central New York.
Margot followed in her mother’s footsteps with considerable artistic skill with oils, pastel crayons, and charcoals. The many little pictures that she painted over the years, along with a periodic craft projects, kept her busy and provided the kids with some fond memories of their youth.  Margot’s essential passions were for her garden and animals.  Margot took great pride in her lawncare and flower arrangements and exerted a tremendous amount of effort, even into her final days, sculpting beautiful arrangements.  She was a magnet for injured or abandoned animals of all kinds ranging from pigeons and armadillos to the endless stream of cats and dogs.   All were spoiled beyond reason, much to their delight … and hers.   However, her heart had more room and she volunteered at the Salisbury Zoo as a docent for many years where she found an unexpected affinity for herpetology (principally snakes) and arachnids.  She loved conducting classes for visiting elementary school children and worked a number of projects that expanded the zoo’s offerings to include wolves and bears.  Her heart and door were always open to her children, their friends and, later, their families.   Margot made memories for her kids by trying to attend all of their activities … sports, music, academic, etc. and, although accepting of the realities of life, they are all stricken by her loss.
We would be remiss to not mention her life-long friends, Janet (deceased) and Fred Bosworth of Cazenovia.  Sometimes you need someone to hold onto when things get rough, and there was no truer friend than Janet Bosworth.   Over the years, Margot often mentioned how blessed she was to have Janet and Fred.  At a future date, the family will hold a private service for Margot at the Erieville village cemetery where she and Lowell will both be interred next to Victoria and Rachel.
For those who would like to express a token in memoriam of Margot, the family asks that you give what you can to the Salisbury Zoo, in Salisbury, MD; their link is salisburyzoo.org/maryland-salisbury-zoo-donate.