Sarah “Sally” McKinstry Hall
Among Sally Hall’s carefully organized papers, her family discovered a note she had written years before her health declined. It was tucked beside a stack of addressed and stamped envelopes, ready to be mailed.
“Dear Friends, Our beloved mother, Sally Hall, has died very peacefully. Thank you for your long and happy friendships. Gratefully, The Hall Family.” Even in preparing for her own death, Sally was thinking first of others.
Sarah “Sally” McKinstry Hall died peacefully surrounded by members of her family on June 28, 2026, at the age of 97. Born in Santa Barbara on August 27, 1928, to General and Mrs. Charles Hedges McKinstry, one of three daughters who remained close throughout their long lives, she grew up during the Great Depression and World War II, experiences that shaped a lifetime of gratitude, thrift, and quiet generosity.
She attended the Howard School, Laguna Blanca School, and Mills College. She graduated in Philosophy and Religion and was the speaker at the Graduation Ceremonies, before studying at St. Andrews University in Scotland as a Fulbright Scholar. Her many academic awards over the years prove what the Provost there believed. She was a brilliant scholar.
In 1952 she married the Rev. Dr. George J. Hall, rector of All Saints-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church in Montecito. George was a widower with two young children, and before their wedding Sally gently told his daughter, Virginia, “I know I can’t replace your mother, but I hope I can be someone you turn to when you’re in trouble.” Sally shared an abiding, enduring love with George, who predeceased her in 2002 after 50 years of marriage. They were an inseparable, inspirational pair.
Together Sally and George built a family of six children: Dr. James Hall (Jean), Virginia Yanoff (Rick), Julia Parish (Will), the Rev. Frances Hall Kieschnick (Michael), Sarah Gordon (David), and Brad Hall (Julia), along with twelve grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Sally delighted in each of them. They were at the center of her life.
Hospitality was Sally’s spiritual gift. The rectory door was never locked. Neither was her heart. Parishioners, college students, neighbors, travelers, and strangers all found a place at her table. Sunday breakfasts after church were legendary, as were her chocolate chip cookies, which seemed to appear wherever comfort, celebration, or encouragement was needed.
Sally taught at Crane School before her marriage and later served for ten years as office manager for the Visiting Nurse Association, now VNA Health. She also volunteered with Hospice, the Montecito Union PTA, the Junior League, St. Michael and All Angels Church, and many other organizations that strengthened the Santa Barbara community.
A lifelong and lively learner, Sally loved books, music, travel, tennis, dancing, and every furry creature she met. Her children established a music scholarship at Mills College in her honor. She belonged to the same book club for decades, welcomed Music Academy of the West students into her home, and remained devoted to concerts and master classes even after losing much of her hearing. She and George delighted in dancing together throughout their marriage, and even in her final years she would reach for the nearest hand and sashay around the living room whenever music began.
She was also George’s trusted editor, theological conversation partner, and faithful encourager. She wrote letters daily—thank you notes, birthday cards, words of comfort, and witty limericks—making sure people knew they had not been forgotten. Her children, their children, and their children were the enthusiastic beneficiaries of ongoing, detailed correspondence.
Dementia never diminished her capacity to love. Even when she no longer recognized a visitor’s name, she would invite them in, offer a cup of tea, and ask about their lives with genuine warmth and curiosity. Memory faded, but kindness never did.
The family offers heartfelt gratitude to Sally’s devoted caregivers whose tenderness, patience, and expertise allowed her to live her final years with dignity and grace.
Memorial gifts may be made to the Friendship Center, 89 Eucalyptus Lane, Santa Barbara, CA 93108, whose work George and Sally championed for decades and whose mission of caring for older adults was close to their hearts.
The Hall family is profoundly grateful for the friendships that filled Sally’s long and beautiful life. If you knew her, chances are you felt welcomed, well fed, and deeply loved.
A Celebration of Sally’s extraordinary life will be held in early spring in the new year. Tributes and updated information can be found through Welch-Ryce-Haider (wrhsb.com) under Obituaries.
