Quarry Beach namesake dies at 77

BATAVIA – For thousands of children and adults, swimming at Harold Hall Quarry Beach has become a summertime tradition.

Harold "Bosco" Hall, a lifelong Batavia resident, died Sunday at Community Nursing Center in Naperville. He was 77.

"He certainly was a pioneer in helping developing the quarry swimming pool," Batavia Mayor Jeff Schielke said.

Hall ran the quarry for the city before the Batavia Park District took it over, Schielke said.

"He took great pride in the quarry and what it was all about," Schielke said.

The park district renamed the quarry in his honor in the 1990s. The pool, which dates back to 1920, is in a former quarry.

Hall also helped shape the park district, which was formed in 1969. He was a member of the Batavia Park Board from 1975 to 1999 and was board president for several years.

"He was a true visionary and one of the founding fathers of the park district," Park District Executive Director Mike Clark said. "His contributions are invaluable, which is why the park district honors the Hall Quarry Beach with his name."

Batavia 5th Ward Alderman Eldon Frydendall served with Hall on the Batavia Park Board.

"Bosco always reminded me of a freight train," Frydendall said. "He never moved real fast, but he always got to his destination. He always got the job done and was ready to move on to the next one."

Frydendall remembered Hall's friendly nature while he was working at the quarry.

"He was a friend of the kids," he said. "He was a friend of the lifeguards."

Hall was also the former superintendent of the Batavia street department and was a member of several community groups, including the Benevolent Order of Youthful Seniors and the Batavia Masonic Lodge 404.

For his contributions to the city, Hall was presented with the Batavia Citizen of the Year award in 1984.

"He had a very strong passion and love for Batavia," Schielke said.

At the same time, Hall wasn't afraid to speak his mind, he said.

"He liked to see progress," Schielke said. "He could be the city's harshest critic as well as its biggest cheerleader."

Visitation services will be from 3 to 8 p.m. Friday at Moss Funeral Home, 209 S. Batavia Ave. A Masonic service will be held at 7 p.m.

Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at Moss Funeral Home. Interment will be private in Lincoln Memorial Park Cemetery in Aurora.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be directed to Batavia Lodge 404 Endowment Fund, P.O. Box 121, Batavia, Ill. 60510.