Luana Hall

Luana Anesta Allamby Hall was born on December 9, 1942, in the capital city of Charlotte Amalie, on the Caribbean island of St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands.  Born to a Cuban mother and a Puerto Rican father, Luana’s first language was Spanish.  Her mother, Marjorie Johns, was a perfectionist about elocution. So when she told Luana, who was about 7 at the time, and her two sisters and four brothers that they would be moving to New York soon, Marjorie had her children listen to “el radio” religiously until their Spanish accents had disappeared. That’s probably why Luana was so well-spoken and always received compliments on her beautiful voice.

Once in New York, Luana began to feel right at home.  She loved the rich artistic culture of Harlem and she often took in shows at the Apollo or a boxing match with her brother, Jerry.  She went to high school with singer Frankie Lyman.  And though she suffered the loss of her oldest sister and youngest brother there early in life, the tight-knit bond with her family, the New York winters and the disciplined Caribbean work ethic that Marjorie instilled in all of her children shaped Luana into a very strong woman—-one tough but gentle cookie until the day she went “home.” 

As a young woman in her late teens, Luana was a busy working person. She helped her mother with the household chores for their large family.  But she also made time to work as a volunteer for a young Presidential candidate affectionately known as JFK. And — she worked as a secretary for a businessman — a Cohen or Koy-en of the Jewish faith -  who had the keen ability to see into the future.  He told her that she would one day marry a man and have four daughters with him.  Luana didn’t really take this to heart — until after the fact when she remembered his prediction years later, realizing it did come true. 

She did meet that man, Thomas Dale Hall of Denver, Colorado, very early in the 1960’s. They married in 1963 and lived in New York, where Lisa was born the following year.  Soon they moved to Pasadena, California, where Susan, Pamela, and Helena followed. 

(Family and Friends Speak) 

Part II

Tom and Luana were married for 33 years, before Tom went “home” in April of 1997.   

As a widow, Luana became the matriarch of a beautifully expanding family that soon included 8 grandchildren.  She was devastated by the loss of one of them, but she continued to embrace the role in her own inimitable way.  She was so proud of the grandkids and always wished Tom could see how they’d grown.  

Luana was also a woman who had a great appreciation for the feminine things in life - a fine handkerchief, fashionable clothing and French decor.   And she was a big fan of TV shows like My Lottery Dream House and Perry Mason and Fixer Upper.  Her daughters always enjoyed taking in an episode or two with her, or watching a great old black and white film like The Big Clock or a gem w/Danny Kaye, such as The Kid From Brooklyn.  She loved the film The Ten Commandments with Charlton Heston as Moses.  She got a tremendous kick out of the giant silver perm they gave Moses in the movie when he came down from Mt. Sinai and she said that his hair could’ve been The Burning Bush.  For Luana and her girls, this never got old, they laughed every time.

While Luana enjoyed the lighter side of life, she also had a deep and private appreciation for the spiritual and esoteric things of life.  In 1992, Luana stumbled upon a book in the Altadena Library called A Course in Miracles; a book that absorbed her interest and gave her great comfort for the rest of her life.  The  preface states, “Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists. Herein lies the peace of God.” She enjoyed studying its precepts assiduously and found them constantly helpful as she went about problem-solving in her daily life.    

At the same time, Luana deeply cherished the time she and Tom had spent in the Worldwide Church of God, where she met lifelong friends like the Manns, the Atlases, the Tates, and the Wesleys.  And she and her best friend Hattie loved to talk about their plans to save the world—even up to their last conversation on this past Valentine’s Day. 

Her profound gratitude for the unconditional  love of God and His Will stayed with her until she was welcomed home on Saturday, March 4th. Her daughter, Susan, believes she left on this day as a message to her family and friends: March forth. Go forward in life. Live well. Give well. Love well. Stay true to yourself, and when you don’t know what to do, ask, “What is the Will of God?” 

Luana is survived by her four daughters, Lisa Hall, Susan Hall Watson, Pamela Hall, Helena Hall, son-in-law Johnny G. Watson, grandchildren Tristan Watson, Jaeden Watson, Dylan Ryan, Hendrix Hall-Mitchell, Harlem Hall-Mitchell, Phoenix Golden, and Kai Golden, as well as her brother Michael Allamby and several nieces, nephews, and wonderful friends. 

Today she is laid to rest right beside her beloved husband, Tom, on this beautiful spring day, though both are surely alive and rejoicing together in the peaceful Arms of God. 

(Closing prayer; Floral tribute; violin solo)