IN HONOUR OF REX HALL MBE – 6 November 1946 – 31 May 2010
This page is in honour of Rex Hall MBE who after a long illness died on 31 May 2010.
Rex remains as the impetus that will continue to inspire us as we carry his vision forward.
Please leave your tributes by clicking ‘Message Board’.
Thank You
I was lucky enough to meet Rex a few months ago at the DCSF conference. When I was introduced to Rex, I was greeted with an amazing smile and that is how I will always remember you Rex. I feel honoured to have met you and to have spoken to you. Thanks to you Rex, Pfs will be joining us in July at our Learning Festival (YoUFiestA) and I am so thrilled that Pfs are going to be there and you along with us too.
You have touched the lives of so many young people, me being one of those. I will always remember you and feel incredibly lucky to have had the chance to meet you. You will be missed and it saddens me that I won’t get to see that smile again but the memories will always be there. All my love. Thank you Rex.
I have known Rex for about six months,and that was only talking to him on the telephone,but what came through was a honourable and trustworthy man.He will be sorely missed.
The trustees of Cornwall PFS were very saddened to hear of the passing of Rex Hall. He was a guiding light during the setting up and development of the charity. The charity’s commitment to ensure that PFS becomes available to more children and young people across our county remains as important as ever. And following very much in his footsteps, we will continue to champion the work of our centres. He will be missed by many.
At The Albion Foundation, we were saddened to hear of the passing of Rex.
Rex was not just the name behind an organisation, but a person. A person we considered possibly the cleverest man we had ever met! The great thing was, he didn’t make us feel silly in the process of us discovering that! He always had time to inspire, always had to time to laugh and always had time to help us and bring us on board with the ‘masterplan’ in his mind- help young people succeed!
Rex won’t be forgotten here at The Albion Foundation- the memory of watching him flinch as he watched an ‘outstanding’ head talk nonsense as a keynote speaker will be with me personally forever- and then being a man of integrity, he had the guts to get up and question (with love of course) the speeches we are fed and values we say we hold. Where most of us would have just got on with the free buffet lunch!
The people he inspired have undoubtly got a ‘Rexism’ about them, our own Education and Learning Manager is for sure someone who got so evidently ‘Rex’d’ – it’s great to see different parts of him left in Rex Hall Associates. We have every confidence that RHA will continue onwards and upwards even at this sad time and into the future.
Rex’s desire to see young people and children succeed is so evident in the organisation he lent his name to, his legacy will live on for generations to come.
Rest in Peace Rex. You were a warm, lovely and much loved man.
You were an inspiration Rex. Thank you!
Rex, during our time shared at Goldsmiths I found you to be a warm and authentic man who in many respects marched to his own drum. I also remember you as someone who was quite passionate about wearing his beanie at all times! I was looking forward to saying these things to you at the October Goldsmiths seminar. Alas this is not to be. You left this earth too soon, but I can see from the other tributes that you have made a tremendous contribution to many. My sincere condolences to your family. Rest in peace.
We knew Rex as a personal friend. He was a warm, welcoming man who had time for everyone and made you feel special and important. Despite not being able to drive, both he and Lyn made the effort to attend our wedding in the middle of nowhere, in a small Dorset countryside church. He was the most likeable person you could ever wish to meet. His passion and enthusiasm for his job has been mentioned by those above and it was matched in his personal life. He always put others before himself.
Despite his illness he was determined to achieve all that he could and do the best he could. He more than did that. Our thoughts are very much with Lyn at this sad time, however just thinking of Rex will always bring a smile to our faces and we are grateful to have met and known him.
I never met Rex personally, but he always knew who I was and where I worked in PfS.
He would always read our newsletters/videos sent as a general mailshot from the Bath Rugby Education Centre and would always send an email back to me individually full of praise, encouragement and recognition for the work I did. It was this connection, which was special and especially so for someone in a supporting role rather than a Centre Manager. The fact that he replied to each and everyone, regardless of where or who they were in the organisation was for me what made him such a great man.
May you rest in peace.
Dear Rex, Thank you for the privilege of knowing and working with you. It was a shock to hear of your sad departure so soon after seeing you at conference, but may you rest in the peace of knowing that your work will be continued by an army of enthusiastic supporters all over the country and further afield. My sincere condolences to your family and friends,
Sarah
What has been interesting since Rex’s passing is how people in the different areas of his life knew little about his other contributions. I got to know Rex in 1980 simply because he was a fellow “Soviet space sleuth” and we met as a result of the first “Soviet Spaceflight Technical Forum” held by the British Interplanetary Society (BIS) in January 1980. He and Lynn quickly became close friends. He is the only person to have attended every one of the BIS meetings which were held annually from 1980 until the one scheduled for June 5th this year was delayed because of his death. Rex probably knew the biographies of cosmonauts better than the cosmonauts themselves (!) and he brought a quiet logic to a subject which had previously been a mass of speculation, guesswork, apparently-rational deductions and officially-known data. The BIS meetings were always marked by Rex’s gentle humour – he is impossible to replace.
All at the Learning Zone will miss you greatly. Thank you Rex – for your friendship, your caring, your humour and for just being you. x
My sincere condilences to the family of Rex, to his fields and colleagues. I am shocked to hear that Rex passed away. He was a man of honor. Enthusiasm of Rex in space program and his desire to pass this feeling and his knowledge to other people were very strong and productive. Rex was very kind person willing to help people. I will miss Rex and will keep the memory of him all my life.
Oleg.
Rex,
You walked this earth humble,
You left us an example,
You thought of others,
You were strong,
You were kind,
You had a presence,
You never judged,
You never told,
You will be so missed special friend,
Because you were you Rex Hall one of a kind.
Imran
Rex was an amazing enabler – as I look back I realise that almost every conversation we had led to a positive action……………..and I am so grateful for all those opportunities.
We will always cherish those moments and as we continue to plan for our future young communities there will be echoes of Rex’s pearls of wisdom at the back of our minds. We will do all we can to keep the dream not just alive, but growing.
Dear all
I was given the honour of presenting the PfS eulogy at Rex’s funeral last week. So many of you contributed, and so many were unable to attend, that I thought you may want to see what was said.
There were three eulogies at the event. The first was from the Tower Hamlets Summer University; the second by the British Interplanetary Society; and the final tribute was from Rex’s PfS family.
Steve Smith
I guess, just like you, I will always remember exactly where I was when I heard the devastating news of Rex’s passing. I had just been thinking about Rex. I was thinking, “Rex would hate this place.” You see I was sat on a rowing boat in the middle of a loch on a remote island off the west coast of Scotland. Kevin McCook reminded me, in an email, of a conversation we must have both had with Rex at some time. Rex was a Londoner. He was not a countryside man. He hated the countryside. He loved the tube, the hustle and bustle, the closeness of London, the different cultures and people. It made him feel alive. And Rex as you all know was always a man full of life!
He and I were both born in the 40’s. Which meant that the majority of our youth was spent in the 60’s – the decade when horizons were being opened up, when we began to think about daring to move outside our comfort zones and find out who we really were. And Rex was one of the few people who really did it. He’s the only person I know who upped sticks and went off to the East – he’s the only one I know that lived the dream and became a roadie for some big name bands of the period – and toured with them. He lived it when most of us stood and dipped our toes in. You see, Rex was never afraid to step out.
And the last time we saw Rex was at his beloved PfS National Conference just 3 days before the end. What an inspirational event that was. He was too weak to lead from the front – but the whole event bore the brushstrokes of the master. His attendance was so important. To have ‘The King’ in the building was so valuable to so many. Centre Manager Lisa Fenaroli summed it up on the message board. She said, “I left the conference feeling inspired not only by the speakers or the colleagues with whom I have a shared interest, but by you Rex. It was quite apparent that you were not in good health, but there was nothing that was going to keep you from an event where you have been the figure head for the past 12 years. I salute you and will continue to fight the cause”.
Suzy Durston said, “Thank you Rex for all you did for me and all those whose lives you touched directly and indirectly. What a man, what a legacy!” That’s Rex Hall. Our colleague and our friend.
We could spend a long time talking and reminiscing about the things that Rex did. The things he achieved. What he accomplished. It would be a considerable list. But let’s take all that as a given. And let’s think about the man.
Halina Gammie reminds us that Rex is a man who started an avalanche that swept through the world of education and created the phenomenon that became, in his lifetime, Playing for Success. But Sean Kane reminds us that, despite all his abilities, he was equally capable of losing a group of challenging London teenagers by putting them on the Dover to Calais ferry and then getting on the wrong boat himself.
So many people have very personal stories. You will have your own stories now – heightened in your memory – brought on by this occasion.
Linda Farnhill from Leeds sent a message. “Rex was a ‘once in a lifetime’ person. I know I will never meet anyone like him again. I think of a line from Rudyard Kipling’s poem ‘If’ – “If you can walk with kings, nor lose the common touch”. Rex was equally comfortable talking to the Minister for Education and at the same time made people like me and particularly Kevin, our late site assistant, feel we were massive contributors to PfS.” You see …. Rex was the master dream-weaver.
If you are fortunate enough to be a Rex Hall Associate consider the fact that you were hand-picked by him, and the fact that he chose a postcard for every single one of us, every month, for as many years as you were part of his Team.
He believed in me and he believed in you – and I guess you feel like me. I’m better for knowing him. So much better. He made me – and he made you – feel special and trusted. Lots of people have said …. “He made people feel valued and affirmed”. What a gift he was to us!
Rex was a man for whom the phrase ‘thinking outside the box’ was invented. He saw things from a perspective that others couldn’t. He stood in places few can stand. And we had the privilege of standing near him. He could transform vision into action – that’s a rare and precious ability.
He had a capacity to hold together seemingly impossible combinations. He was a great and yet a humble man. He always deflected credit to others. Greatness and humility – what an amalgamation!
Marin Turnbull said, “all the centre managers felt that they had a personal relationship with him (and they did!) because he made a point of not just talking to them but of knowing them personally.” He could do that. I wish I could do that.
He was a true listener – what a capacity he had for listening. He missed nothing. He never took notes – or used notes. If he was standing here today doing what I’m doing, he wouldn’t have been surrounded by bits of paper! He could hear about someone and retain every detail. We had an email the other day from Mark Reynolds, of Rawthorpe Amateur Boxing Club, a new Associate Centre. He said, “I am so, so sad to hear the news about Rex. I was lucky enough to briefly meet him at the recent Conference – and he knew who I was and all about our work which was lovely to hear. He will be a great loss but his legacy lives on and hopefully we can make him proud.” You see. One very brief encounter with a very weak Rex Hall and a man is engaged and deeply affected!
Rex was a boundary mover. A vision stretcher. There wasn’t once that either you or I met him when you came away feeling more limited. The picture was bigger every time. And not only that – you felt it could be achieved. And that you were part of achieving it. One of the last conversations that I had with him was at the Conference, in the company of Lois Gyves. She held his hand and said to him, “Rex – I would work for you for NOTHING.” And she would. We all would. That’s how much we all thought of him.
Rex was a man of amazing integrity, with high principles and incredible honesty and generosity. There will be those here who could give examples of his generosity that would leave us open mouthed – but the details will always remain as something between you and him.
Rex was a man of passion. I remember the interview at DfES (or was it DCSF in those days) in Sanctuary Buildings, when the new RHA were bidding for the PfS contract. Tony Kirwan was there, and so was Alli Tripney, and Allison Lockwood was on the other side of the table. Towards the end of the proceedings which to me were nerve wracking, Rex banged his hand on the table and told the Civil Servants on the interviewing panel, “Look. I’m passionate about this. I have given years of my life to it. I’m not about to let some other organisation trample all over the potential that it has. We are the ones that can lead this.” And it worked … RHA got the contract.
Rex Hall was a man who was loved. In all the years I knew him I never heard anyone speak of him with anything but deep fondness and affection. One of you put it, in a recent email … “He was such a lovely, lovely man. I will cherish every single memory and every card he sent to me, even his handwriting, beautiful and unique, as the man himself. He was wise, warm and wonderful. An Aslan of a man”. And that phrase has captured him hasn’t it? And ‘Aslan of a man’.
I shared many meetings with Rex as I’m sure you all did. He had a ‘meetings catch phrase’ … Did you ever notice? He’d say … “As part of the process,” at the end of a point he was making. I once kept a tally of how many times he said it in one meeting. It was 18!
And now he’s gone. He has left a massive void. He’s left a chasm in the hearts of us all here today. A chasm that can’t be filled. Nor would we want it to be. It’s a special place where Rex’s memory will live on and on – as he would have said, “as part of the process”.
Someone on the platform at the PfS Conference said, “Talent does what it can …… Genius does what it must.” We are all here today, supporting each other and supporting Lynn, saying goodbye to Rex and giving our thanks that we knew a genius, who did what he must, and that his ‘must’ touched us all so very, very deeply.
I’d like to finish with a prayer.
Lord
We want to thank you today for the privilege of knowing a genius, a wonderful Aslan of a man – Rex Hall. We thank you that in doing what he must that he touched each one of us in so many ways. We thank you for his extraordinary capacity to change lives so positively. Comfort us in our loss and give us the strength to carry on and to honour his memory and his name. Lord we ask you particularly to support and bless Lynn at this time.
Amen
Rex you were unique in a great many ways. I have wonderful memories of you sharing your incredible vision and enthusiasm with the team at Leeds. You touched so many people’s lives in such an awesome way and made everyone you met feel special. I thank God that I was privileged to meet you. Rest in peace and without pain.
Although we are all sad that Rex is no longer with us his memory will live on through the tens of thousands of young people who have been lucky enough to be a part of Playing for Success. What a successful life he had!
Rex, I was so sorry to hear of your passing, I thought you would go on forever.
It was a priviledge to have known and worked with you. You have inspired so many people over the years and what a legacy you have left. A hard act to follow but I’m sure your colleagues will strive to continue the wonderful work and vision.
I was trying to think of a song that best described you and came up with ‘Wind beneath my Wings’. You were certainly the wind beneath many a wing!
Sleep tight Rex, yuo deserve a rest now!
I guess that the expression ‘Larger than Life’ only goes a short way to descibe him. I learned so much about how to work with people and develop ideas and navigate my way through difficult meetings from him. I have so much to thank him for … seeing an opportunity to transfer me from the clutches of the T.H. Inspectorate is one thing I often remember with quiet gratitude. I think I could truly say that ‘I didn’t get where I am today – without knowing Rex Hall’.
Rex was in change of the youth office in Tower Hamlets in the heart of the East End of London,when l was a Youth Officer too.During his period in Tower Hamlets he turned the youth service around to be one of the best in London,for rescources and the number of Full time workers, at its peak 126 full time workers with over 600 part time workers.This was due to Rex’s skill in getting the best out of the people in power in London who could give out the money,he made sure Tower Hamlets came out on top.Before the break up of I L E A ,we had in our part of London twice as much money than the other 11 London Boroughs. He always had great skills in winning over over committies,He knew the key people on all the important committies and would have no problem in sharing his ideas
He set up with Carolne Adams the very first apprentice ship scheme that gave a chance for local young adults to Qualify as Youth and Community Workers,this changed the lives of many people in the local area.With Rex’s understanding I learned all that I needed to know in my first post as a Youth Offier.I shall always remember his sence of humour and his deep knowledge of the communities of the East End, I recall one summer we supported 85 different holiday schemes giving the opportunities to many children a summer holiday to remember. With Lord Michael Young he set up the summer university scheme which I had the pleasure of being their first part time worker, since then it has grown into a very large organisation with many local authorities in and outside of London following Rex’s ideas of having positive activities for teenagers in the summer holidays. It was during a conversation with rex once that I set up my own training scheme for children and adults in primary schools training them in skills of playground mediation/games this is social education in action which my friend Rex was really in tune with.Recently I was in Tower Hamlets with the leader of the Council who said that Rex is sadly missed as a person who could communicate with the different communities in East London.