One thing about James Floyd Hall that always stood out to his peers was his commitment to service.
That went beyond serving in the United States Army, which included a deployment to Vietnam during the war. Hall, 70, was known for always being willing to lend a helping hand around Plant City. Whether it was as small as coaching youth sports or as big as helping organize the Florida Strawberry Festival, Plant City residents could count on Hall.
“He was an absolutely wonderful boss and one of my best friends up until he passed away,” former coworker Judy Barto said.
Hall, born Dec. 11, 1947, graduated from Plant City High School in 1965 and came back to Florida after his military service, graduating from the University of Central Florida with a degree in accounting. He spent 33 years working for Sunshine State Federal Savings and Loan — 27 as its president — and in his free time served on boards all over the community. Hall was active in the local youth sports scene, coaching for more than 20 years. He also taught Sunday school at First Baptist Church of Plant City for more than 20 years.
Mike Sparkman, who grew up with Hall in Plant City, said he was a true gentleman who held the right values in life.
“I’ve never heard him say a bad word about anybody,” Sparkman said. “He loved life, loved his family and was a good-hearted man.”
Most notably, Hall was a longtime Florida Strawberry Festival director and its Vice Chairman since 2017. He started as an associate director in October 1998 and was moved up to a director’s role in 2007. Hall brought his accounting expertise to the table and led the financial committee for many years. Festival President Paul Davis said Hall’s knowledge and ideas brought consistency to the festival and helped it grow.
“We’re still numb. It was so unexpected,” Davis said. “He’s one of those guys you just cannot replace.”
The Florida Strawberry Festival vice chairman died Sept. 21.
Davis credits Hall with helping him in his role as president over the last decade. Though he was “a man of few words,” Davis said, everything Hall did say was carefully thought out and full of wisdom Davis still uses today.
“He’s been such an integral part since 1998,” Davis said. “He’s worked on so many committees and helped build us to what we are today.”
After Sparkman brought Hall into the festival’s finance committee in 2010, the two men led the charge to modernize the way it did business by introducing new technology and financial operations. The goal was to revamp the business side so the festival could grow and both Sparkman and Davis said Hall’s expertise as a CPA was crucial to its success.
“We brought it into a business and it’s one of the largest businesses in Plant City,” Sparkman said. “It’s in a new era.”
Hall’s impact on the Plant City community won’t soon be forgotten as many in town have used their platforms to celebrate his life.
“He was just a great man, a great Southern man that made everyone in his community, everyone that he knew, feel comfortable,” Mayor Rick Lott said in last week’s city commission meeting. “He really loved Plant City and he will be missed. The impact he made on our city will be felt for many, many years.”