Hall L. Crannell, age 89, of Damascus, Maryland passed away Monday, September 8, 2025 after a long illness. 

He was born February 23, 1936, in Berkeley, California to Clarke W. and Alice (“Billie”) Crannell. Hall received his Bachelors and Masters degrees in physics from Miami University and then a PhD in physics from Stanford University. From 1967 to 2001, he was a professor of physics at the Catholic University of America. He served as the Principal Investigator on numerous National Science Foundation grants for more than three decades, conducting research on nuclear structure using intermediate- and high-energy electrons and photons as probes. He was a Fellow of the American Physical Society and served on several nuclear science advisory committees. 

His passion for equity started young, when he attended sit-ins with his father, and continued throughout his life. He was a strong advocate for women in science, actively encouraging his daughters in their mathematical and scientific pursuits. He served in numerous civic associations, including assisting the Girl Scouts, serving as president of his neighborhood citizens association, as referee and Chief of Course for local swim meets, and as secretary of his daughters’ elementary school PTA.

He was a committed father and husband: cooking, reading aloud the Oz stories at bedtime, and supporting his family’s academics and professional careers. One of the most common words people who knew him use to describe him is “patient”; his friends and family also commonly repeat that they knew they were well loved.

For recreational activities, Hall enjoyed woodworking, opera, classical music, and travel. He was an avid carpenter, constructing shelves, roll-top desks, beds, and more; he passed a love of carpentry, plumbing, and electrical work to his children.  His travels took him all over the world, particularly if it enabled him to observe a solar eclipse, but the southwestern United States had a special appeal for him.

He is survived by his three daughters: Annalisa K. Crannell, Francesca C. Garrison, and Tasha L. Jessup, and by his second wife, Sally Sue Seabold, to whom he was married for nearly a dozen years.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sister Winn Crannell and his first wife and co-author Carol Jo Crannell. 

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, October 25, 2025, 11:00 a.m. at Damascus United Methodist Church, 9700 New Church St., Damascus, MD 20872, followed by a luncheon for all family and friends.

Online condolences may be shared with his family on our website at www.molesworthwilliams.com

Donations may be in his name to Miami University, online via https://www.givetomiamioh.org/ or by mail at Miami University Advancement, 725 E. Chestnut Street, Oxford, Ohio 45056. 

No services at the funeral home.