Obituary of Dorothy L. Hall

Dorothy “Dotty” Hall, 84, of Canton NY, died peacefully in her sleep on April 6th, 2023, after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Dotty was born on November 28th, 1938 in Altoona, Pennsylvania to the late Dorothy Christine Gilmore-Querry and David Lloyd Querry. She spent her childhood in Martinsburg, Pennsylvania. She attended Pennsylvania State University for her undergraduate degree and went on to receive her Master’s degree at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. Her education and background led her to working at St. Lawrence University (SLU) in 1966 as a faculty and coaching staff. At SLU, she met John William Hall, a professor of education, and they married in 1967. He predeceased on February 8, 2023. At SLU, Dotty was one of the most successful coaches in the history of the university with 306 victories across her field hockey and lacrosse teams. Her coaching honors and team titles were extensive. She was the first to win a NYSWCAA team title with her undefeated lacrosse team in 1990 and was the first Saint women’s coach to earn a national coach of the year honors when she was named national lacrosse coach of the year in 1989. Dotty also earned regional coach of the year honors in field hockey and was the first Saint women’s coach to take teams to the national semifinals in two different sports in the same year with the 1989 field hockey and 1990 lacrosse teams. She took teams to national play under both the AIAW and NCAA umbrellas and has coached two Hall of Fame teams as well as many individual Hall of Fame members. In 2001, Dotty was inducted into SLU Hall of Fame; and in 2010, the North Country Field, which is home to St. Lawrence's men's and women's lacrosse and field hockey teams, was named in her honor as the Hall-Leet Stadium. Most recently, Dotty was inducted into the 2022 Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Hall of Fame for her extensive accomplishments as a coach. While Dotty’s records and awards speak to her ability to lead and coach, they only scratch the surface of her contributions to women’s athletics. In grade and high schools, she was not afforded the chance to play organized sports because there were no opportunities for women, which influenced her determination that this type of inequality not be the same for her daughter and future generations of women. As the chair of the women’s athletic department, she fought for the equitable rights of women’s sports from 1968 until the merger of women’s and men’s programs in 1974. As a Professor Emerita of Sport and Leisure Studies, she created a course called Sport and Gender, as well as taught Sociology of Sport, Philosophy of Sport, and Sports Psychology before retiring in 2000. Dotty was a popular and highly respected teacher, and she earned the Maslow Teaching Award in 1995 and was a Danforth Teaching Fellow from 1980-86. After retiring, her focus on elevating women’s sports did not end. In 2005, she published her book, Women’s Sports at St. Lawrence University: From Beginnings to Title IX, which studied the trajectory of women’s sports at SLU from the time of the first women’s sports club in 1894 until the women’s and men’s athletics were merged into one department and the Education Amendments Act of 1972 (“Title IX”) demanded a new approach to women’s athletics. Dotty’s time at SLU may be distinguished by her driving role in the development of women’s athletics, in creating an equitable athletic program, and in her coaching record; however, her true impact was through her remarkable mentorship to players, students, and other women coaches. She developed bonds with her students and athletes that lasted longer than a semester or a season. To this day, many of her former mentees described her as a formative part of their time at SLU, as she served as an inspiration to develop players’ passions, and to excel off and on the field. To anyone who had the pleasure of knowing her, Dotty was a large influence in creating strong, confident young women and fostered growth among those with whom she worked. Dotty is survived by her daughter, Kristen Hall Lamb and husband Gunner, her stepson, John Smillie Hall and wife Alice, her four grandchildren, William (Will) Lamb, Carter Lamb, James (Jake) Hall and his wife Sam Carlson, and Margaret (Maggie) Hall, her sister Peggy Cable and her wide network of previous students, players, and coaches. In addition to her husband, she was predeceased by her brothers, David and John Querry. A celebration of her and her husband John W Hall’s lives will be held at 11 a.m. on June 30th at Gunnison Memorial Chapel, St. Lawrence University, Canton, NY. Donations may be made in her memory to https://alumni.stlawu.edu/athleticsgift. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Bruso-Desnoyers Funeral Service in Malone, N.Y. Friends may leave online condolences at www.brusofuneralservice.com.