Mr. James Rodney "Rod" Hall, 86, of Lake Wylie, SC, passed away peacefully Thursday, August 3rd, 2023 at his home by the lake surrounded by his family.  Rod was a man of faith and a follower of Christ. His family and many friends find great comfort in the assurance that he entered into eternal rest and is now in the presence of his Creator and Savior.

Rod was born December 5th, 1936 in Rock Hill, SC to the late James Luther and Lydia Loyce Holland Hall.  He grew up in a rural farming community in Rock Hill and was always drawn to mechanical interest.  As a young boy, he enjoyed creating with erector sets, Lionel trains, and line-controlled model airplanes that he built himself, in addition to hunting and fishing.   He built his first boat at age 8 and began spending time on Lake Wylie in 1948.

During his teenage years, Rod was active in the Boy Scouts of America and achieved Eagle Scout and Order of the Arrow. 

Rod attended Winthrop Training School.  Upon graduation, he attended Georgia Tech and earned a degree in electrical engineering.   While there, he was also in the ROTC.

When Rod was a senior in high school, he was invited by his good friend, Tommy Williams, to meet Frances Smith.  Frances’ older sister, Jeanette, dated Tommy.  After their first date, Rod stated that he would marry Frances one day.  While at Georgia Tech, Rod would make regular trips to Rock Hill on the weekends to be with future bride.  Rodney and Frances were married March, 1960 at Ebenezer Church in Rock Hill, the same church where he will be laid to rest.  His first son, Rick, was born the end of that same year.

Upon graduating from Georgia Tech, Rod, in order to fulfill his ROTC commitments, served in the U.S. Army from 1961 until 1964.  He was stationed in Anniston, Alabama and reached the rank of Captain.  One of Rod's most significant accomplishments while serving in the Army was his design and fabrication of a "de-linking" machine that automatically separated surplus machine gun belt tracer rounds from regular rounds needed for training purposes.  Those machines were used successfully of many years and saved many hours of manual labor.  While there, their second son, Jeff, was born in December of 1961.

After his honorable discharge from the Army, Rod and Fran with their two young boys, moved to Charlotte.  After a short time with the Douglas Aircraft Company, Rod began his first career with the Duke Power Company.  During his time with Duke, he designed and integrated electrical control systems for Duke Power's newly constructed power plants including several nuclear power plants in the region. 

Those years included him building wooden boats in his garage; a dozen power boat and sailboats, water skiing, racing the sailboats that he built, the cabin on Lake Norman that he and Fran built and moving from Charlotte to Tega Cay on Lake Wylie.  One of Rod's home built power boats, a 14' plywood runabout with a Ford Falcon engine from a local junk yard, was one of the fastest boats on the lake.  In addition, he was a very competitive sailor and won numerous local and regional sailing regattas with Fran as his crew.

When Rod and Fran moved to Tega Cay on Lake Wylie, Rod built the dock in front of their new home.  Then, several neighbors approached Rod and asked if he would build a dock for them; he did.  Then during a casual conversation with the developer of Tega Cay, it was suggested that Rod should build a marina for the community.  It was a life changing decision and in 1976 Rod began construction of the Tega Cay Marina.   Rod and Fran risked everything they had and invested in the marina and, with the help of a couple of hired hands, his two sons and many family members, he built the marina.   Fran managed the marina and Rick and Jeff worked there after school and during the Summers.  In addition, Rod operated a successful dock construction company while continuing his fulltime commitment with Duke Power.  His life usually required working seven days a week; normally fourteen hour work days.

Several years later, Rod announced that he was going to buy the old Pier 49 Marina adjacent to the Buster Boyd Bridge on Lake Wylie.  Fran begged him not to go forward with that however, never one to back down from a challenge, Rod moved forward with the decision.  He renamed the marina Lake Wylie Marina and soon began improvements of the facility. He then decided to build a dry stack boat storage facility on the property which, at the time, was a new concept on inland lakes.   New and used boat sales then became a significant part of the business and Rod was fortunate to represent Chris Craft boats and several other major brands.  As the business grew, Rod decided to take an early retirement from Duke Power so that he could devote his time and energy to the marina and boat business.  By the early '80's, Rod secured the rights to represent Sea Ray Boats, the leading brand in the marine industry.   From that time forward, the business grew and prospered.  Rod's dream was to build "a very fine boat dealership and marina and to be committed to fair and honest treatment of everyone touched in the process".

During those years, Rod always found a way to make time for the family.  Even though we worked together in the business, family always came first. Boating and fishing trips to the beach, boating trips to the Bahamas in a single engine 25' boat with only a paper chart and compass to navigate with, bare boat charter trips on a sailboat in the British Virgin Islands, and other experiences are only a few of the examples of our good times together.  One of the highlights of our family was being awarded the Boating Family of the Year award in 1979 at the New York Boat Show. 

Throughout the '80's and 90's, the business grew and expanded to include six dealership locations and two marinas in Lake Wylie, Lake Norman, Charleston, Columbia, Greenville and Savannah.   After twenty seven years of operating the business with his wife, Fran, who never wavered in her support of him, in 2004, Rod decided to sell the business to Rick and Jeff who had worked alongside Rod since the early years.  They continued to grow the business as the second generation for another fourteen years.   As Rod entered retirement, he remained close to the business as a valued advisor and always cherished the people he worked with and the many relationships he made over the years.

One of the most significant highlights of Rod's working career took place in 2004 at the annual Sea Ray dealer meeting where he was surprised when presented with the first C.N. Ray -Sea Ray Boats Lifetime Achievement Award.   This award represented the culmination and affirmation of a decades long career in the marine industry and the impact, contributions, high esteem, respect and admiration so many people who knew him and worked with him had for him.   Many marine industry leaders were in attendance and it was a very meaningful and special recognition for him and he accepted it with grateful humility.

As Rod entered into retirement with Fran by his side, he never stopped creating and working.  He built a woodshop and re-discovered his passion for woodworking.  His favorite wood was walnut and our houses feature several of his beautiful pieces.  He also built and donated beautiful woodworking pieces to churches, friends, family and other organizations.  He once said, "if it can be made of wood, I hope I can build it".  He never sold any of his work and said once that, " If you do it for money, it's work, if you do because you want to, it's pleasure".   He also enjoyed golf, bicycling on many trails around the region, traveling in their motor home, and gardening. 

Rod loved and appreciated his wife of 64 years and he loved and supported his family.  In his later years, he struggled with declining health however, he always tried to stay positive and hopeful; strong in his faith.  His wife, Fran, always remained by his side caring for him with a loyalty, love and dedication that is rarely seen.  His family remained close to him and his close friends remained with him to the end.  He was always so grateful that his friends invested in his life. 

Rod lived a remarkable and blessed life, he accomplished much in life but, it's his honesty, integrity, dedication, generosity and modesty that shine through.  He was loved and respected by all who knew him; he touched and inspired many lives and was always a positive example in his behavior and how treated everyone.  He always held to a high moral standard and was grounded in his faith and his conservative values.   There is much to be learned from his life and his legacy will carry forward.

Rod Hall was a good and faithful servant, loving and dedicated husband, good father, and a good friend to many; he finished this life well..........well done!  You will be missed.....rest well.

Survivors are his loved and devoted wife of 64 years, Margaret Frances "Fran" Hall; sons James Richard Hall and his wife Cindy Lee Hall and Jeffrey Lee Hall and his wife Laura F. Hall both of Charleston, SC; sister Joyce Hall of New York, NY; grandchildren Maddison, Brandon, Carson and Lauren Hall; grand daughter-in-law Abby hall; great grandchildren Rodney and Olivia Hall.

The funeral service will be 2:00 p.m. Saturday, August 12, 2023 at the Community Church at Lake Wylie, 104 Hamilton’s Ferry Road, Lake Wylie, SC with the Rev. Bob Jack officiating.  Interment will be in Ebenezer A.R.P. Church Cemetery, 2132 Ebenezer Rd., Rock Hill, SC with Military Honors.

The family will receive friends from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Friday, August 11th at the Community Church at Lake Wylie.

Memorials may be made to the Community Church at Lake Wylie, 104 Hamilton’s Ferry Road, Lake Wylie, SC 29710.   

M. L. Ford & Sons Funeral Home, 4820 Charlotte Highway, Lake Wylie, SC is serving the family of Mr. Hall.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.