‘Dreamer’ Hall found paradise in Philippines
A day after a Canadian hostage was beheaded by terrorists in the Philippines, Robert Hall’s family has opened up about the “self-made man” they knew: a hard-working personal achiever — sometimes dubbed a dreamer — who fused practical skills and romanticism to pursue his passion for adventure.
Hall was held with three other hostages by Abu Sayyaf militants after they were kidnapped at gunpoint from a marina on the southern island of Samal on Sept. 21, 2015. The group — some of whom have pledged allegiance to Daesh — beheaded fellow Canadian John Ridsdel in April.
“Our family, even in our darkest hour, agrees wholeheartedly with Canada’s policy of not paying ransom to those who would seek to undermine the fundamental values with which my father lived his life,” Hall’s family said in a statement Tuesday.
Born in Calgary, Hall, in his 60s, had moved to the Philippines after discovering his “paradise on earth” there. “He didn’t sit around and dream about sailing the world; he got up and did it,” his family said.
Awelder by trade, his business card read simply: “Any damn thing.” Hall built and raced his own cars as a young man, and got a pilot’s licence.
“A romantic to the very core, Robert believed in controlling his own destiny and that hard work and a desire to succeed were the two main ingredients to any successful endeavour,” his family wrote. Soft-spoken and slightly eccentric, Hall “believed in right and wrong, in doing the right thing even when it was difficult or no one was watching.”