John Houston Hall, affectionately known by friends and family as “Jack”, 80, of Eureka, SD, passed away on Thursday, February 12, 2026, at Avera St. Luke’s Hospital in Aberdeen.
A Funeral Service with Military Honors will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, at Family Worship Center, 1708 W Grand Crossing, Mobridge, SD 57601, with Rev. Donald Hill of Herreid Assembly of God officiating.
Burial will be at Sunrise Memorial Gardens in Muskegon, Michigan at a later date.
Visitation will be from 5:00-7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 17, 2026 at Rally Point Church, 712 7th St, Eureka, SD 57437. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the funeral service in Mobridge.
Schriver’s Memorial Mortuary and Crematory, 414 5th Avenue NW, Aberdeen, is honored to serve the Hall family. Family and friends may sign the online guestbook at www.schriversmemorial.com. Services will be recorded and posted on Schriver’s Facebook page following the service.
John was born on March 8, 1945, to John and Laura (Coburn) Hall in Fremont, MI. He grew up in Grant, MI, and graduated from Grant High School in 1963.
Soon after graduation, John joined the US Navy. He served from 1965 to 1971, when he was honorably discharged. During his service, he served as a Fireman Apprentice and mastered many talents including electrical work, ship repair, marksman skills, and more.
He attended Interior Communications School at the Naval Training Center in San Diego, CA where he learned the values of resistance, capacitance inductance, current and voltage in AC and DC circuits. After graduation, he was responsible for setting up, maintaining, and repairing public address systems, testing and repairing such units as sound-powered telephone circuits, gyrocompasses and related equipment. John also helped to build the USS Bushnell (AS-15) for Submarine Squadron Twelve located at Key West, Florida, as well as the USS Puget Sound, flagship for Commander Cruiser-Destroyer Force, United States Atlantic Fleet.
Through mutual friends, John was introduced to his future wife, Sandra “Sandy” Huber. They dated long-distance for six months, and fell in love through writing letters back and forth–with one ten-day visit in person–before Jack sweetly proposed over the phone on Sandy’s birthday in August of 1977, and sent her ring in the mail. The couple was married on December 28, 1977, in Lemmon, SD, and they settled in Muskegon, MI, where they made their home and raised their daughters: Penni, Cherea, and Leslie.
John worked at a chemical plant for 17 years, and after the factory was shut down, he transitioned to the United States Postal Service, where he worked as a Mail Carrier for 23 years until his retirement in 2007. Several of his years at the postal service involved walking 13 miles per day on his delivery routes.
During a five-year span following his retirement, John and Sandra hosted several foreign exchange students from China, Thailand, Montenegro, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, reflecting John’s belief that love, guidance, and opportunity should know no borders.
In 2017, John and Sandra moved to Eureka, SD to be closer to their children and grandchildren. They grew to love and respect their new community and enjoyed making memories with their family, which was extremely important to John.
John was a steady and faithful presence in the lives of those who knew him, and a strong and dependable husband and father. He often served as a sounding board, confidant, and trusted source of wisdom for his daughters and wife. His faith shaped the way he lived each day, with family and strong morals at the center of his priorities. John and Sandra were deeply devoted to their church community, opening not only their hearts but their home to others, specifically hosting a community Bible study in their home during their years in Eureka.
John had a particular passion for supporting the underdog. He embraced any opportunity to support single parents, widows, struggling families, and anyone in need of a helping hand, quietly becoming a pillar of strength to many.
His daughters meant the world to him, and he was intentional about making memories with them, especially on the occasions once a year when the girls were each allowed to skip school and spend the day with their dad to shop, eat out, or do whatever they desired, on the condition that they were current in their schoolwork. While shopping may not have been his favorite pastime, he cherished those moments with his daughters, and he relied on their trusted expertise as well when it came time to Christmas shop for Sandra, whom he loved dearly and served as a wonderful, devoted husband.
John was a die-hard fan of anything related to the state of Michigan, whether it was the Great Lakes, Michigan’s beautiful lighthouses, fruit, maple syrup, or his beloved Detroit Lions. He also enjoyed watching classic Westerns, especially John Wayne, and listening to classic 1950s music. He took pride in caring for his yard and garden, tending to fruits and vegetables with care, often pausing to enjoy the simple joy of birds cooing and chirping nearby, especially early in the morning. John’s quiet strength and unwavering devotion leave a legacy of love and faith that will be deeply missed and forever cherished by his family.
Grateful for having shared John’s life are his wife of 48 years, Sandra, of Eureka, SD; daughters: Penni (Robert) Howton of Mount Pleasant, AR, Cherea Banik of Indian Land, SC, and Leslie (Scott) Holcomb of Eureka, SD; nine grandchildren: Destin, Michaela, Paxton, Ethan, JW, Caleb, Remi, Phillip, and Esther; one sister, Ellyne Stephan of Holland, MI; one sister in law, Marie Hall of Grant, MI; and many other extended family and friends.
John was greeted in Heaven by his parents, John and Laura; a stillborn son, Brandon David Hall; and his brother, Alvin Hall.
John’s passion in life can be summed up by Isaiah 1:17 (NLT): “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.” In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you honor John by supporting young families, single parents, or widows, or simply offering a helping hand to someone in need. Carrying on his devotion for others would be the greatest tribute to his life.
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