Robert Hall tried his hand ’at any damn thing,’
Family of slain Canadian celebrate his unique life, back Ottawa’s ransom refusal
To many Canadians, Robert Hall was — since the day of his kidnapping on Sept. 21, 2015, in the Philippines — a name, an age, maybe a hometown, the victim of a fate too awful to ponder for very long.
To those who followed the news more closely, Hall was a grainy image on a video, walking down a gangway in company with his girlfriend and two other men kidnapped with him from a resort marina on the island of Samal.
In the months that followed, he showed up periodically in news reports, long white hair and beard, one of four disheveled, malnourished pawns of the criminal terror group Abu Sayyaf.
But to those who knew and loved him, Robert Hall was the very model of a free spirit, a man who made the most of every heartbeat, whose business card said he would turn his hand to “Any Damn Thing.”
Wishing his memory to be more than the crude images retailed by terrorists in his worse moments, the family of Robert Ward Hall wants all Canadians to know it, too.
They just may be the bravest family in the country.
“Please know that the efforts taken to free Robert were vast and exhaustive. Every option was considered, every contact was sought. Ultimately, our efforts, and those of the various governmental agencies involved, weren’t enough,” the family wrote in a letter released Tuesday night.
“However; 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. We stand with the ideals that built this country; strength of character, resilience of spirit, and refusal to succumb to the demands of the wretched, in order to satisfy the blood lust of the weak,” the letter said. “We will persevere.” Hall, like 68-year-old Canadian mining executive John Ridsdel before him, was murdered this week by Abu Sayyaf, beheaded after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government refused to meet ransom demands.
(The status of the two remaining hostages taken that night by the Al Qaeda-linked group — Hall’s Filipina girlfriend Marites Flor and Norwegian Kjartan Sekkingstad — remains unknown.)
After learning of a fate that for weeks had seemed almost inevitable, his family released a statement describing the man they had lost, a man whose life was one of ceaseless exploration.
“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,” the family said.
Hall was an entrepreneur, an adventurer, a jack of many trades. He was able, artistic, adaptable and game for a challenge.
In high school, he played football and hockey, wrestled, played soccer. Later, he discovered archery, fencing and sailing.
As a young man, he built and drove his own racing cars.
He became a pilot, flying his children across the country to visit family. “He owned and operated many small businesses in his life, from a small-engine repair shop to a fresh pizza stand,” his family said.
Hall spent 25 years building a custom welding and fabrication business, doing everything from aircraft repair to truck decks.
Eventually, he moved west to the ocean, living on his boat and pursuing part-time acting jobs, along with starting a custom-carpentry and home-renovation business.
He travelled the world, finding his own version of paradise in the Philippines, settling in the port city of Davoa, reputed to be one of the safest places in Southeast Asia.
“With its mild weather, friendly people, in the company of other expats, he knew that he had found his home,” the statement released by the family said.
“He loved everything about the Philippines. The people, he said, were warm and gracious. He took an active interest in his community and neighbours and coached a local soccer team.”
The values Hall lived by were as important as the things he did, the statement read.
“He believed in right and wrong, in doing the right thing even when it was difficult or no one was watching, and in helping people who couldn’t otherwise help themselves.
“He was a son, a brother, a father and a grandfather. He was a true friend to those he held close, and a mentor to those who needed guidance.
“He was friendly and open, always up for a spirited conversation about anything and everything. He lived with the idea that you only had so much time, ‘only so many heartbeats,’ as he put it, and it was important to do as much living as possible while you could.”
It seems Robert Ward Hall made the most of his heartbeats.
And it seems his family absorbed his ethos.
“We stand with the ideals that built this country; strength of character, resilience of spirit, and refusal to succumb to the demands of the wretched, in order to satisfy the blood lust of the weak.” HALL FAMILY