Remembering Commissioner Claire Hall
A Celebration of Life memorial for County Commissioner Claire Hall will take place at the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport this Saturday, Jan. 31.
The service will include remembrances from friends and public officials honoring Commissioner Hall’s lifetime of public service and commitment to social justice.
Among those scheduled to speak are Oregon State Representative David Gomberg, Lincoln County Commissioner Walter Chuck, Newport Mayor Jan Kaplan, Newport city councilor and former mayor Sandy Roumagoux, Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians Chairperson Delores Pigsley, Lincoln County Planning and Development Director Onno Husing, former Lincoln County commissioner Doug Hunt, former Lincoln County counsel Wayne Belmont, director of the Central Oregon Coast Transgender Community Marci Grace Frederick, Community Shelter Resource Center Manager Charelle Estes and other friends and colleagues.
Opening and closing prayers will be offered by the Reverend Deacon Senitila McKinley, founder and director of Seashore Family Literacy Center. Cellists Adrienne Welch, Charmaine LeClair and Sherill Roberts will perform during a moment of reflection.
Hall was first elected as County Commissioner in 2004, and was re-elected five times, most recently in November, 2024. She served as commission chair and was recently appointed as acting county administrator. During her long tenure as commissioner, she expanded healthcare services with the creation of federally qualified health clinics, increased access and services for veterans, and was a tireless advocate for affordable housing. She took special pride in her role in helping to establish warming shelters for the county’s unhoused population and, most recently, was deeply involved in resisting plans for an ICE detention center and in helping to restore the presence of the Coast Guard rescue helicopter.
She died on January 4 at Providence Hospital in Portland.
In memory of Hall, a memorial scholarship is being established to support Lincoln County students seeking to further their education. Donations will be accepted at the celebration event. Additionally, checks may be mailed and made out to Lincoln County Foundation, with Claire Hall’s name in the notes section. The mailing address is: Lincoln County Foundation, PO Box 622, Newport, OR 97365.
Saturday's memorial begins at 1 pm in the Gladys Valley Marine Studies Building of the Hatfield Marine Science Center, located at 2030 SE Marine Science Drive. For more information, email friendsofclairehall2025@gmail.com.