Hall, Jr., Cyrus Onley
Cyrus Onley Hall, Jr. passed away at the age of 96 in Houston, Texas on Sunday, December 14, 2025. Cy was born in Pardee, Virginia to Mary Boone and Cyrus Onley Hall, Sr.
Life was hard and times were tough in Appalachia. Cy wasn’t able to see well or read until the age of 10 when he received his first pair of eyeglasses.
After Norton High School, he received a scholarship to Virginia Polytechnic Institute (now Virginia Tech) where he played football. Soon after, he married Donna Jean Gentry, and together began their family. They were married 57 years until her death in 2012.
Cy managed the Terrace Theater in Greensboro, NC. He returned to Blacksburg, VA in the early 1970s and managed Studio One Theater. Later in life, he worked his favorite job as a project bidder for HICO in Christiansburg.
He took tremendous pleasure in the simple Southern comforts of cornbread, biscuits and gravy, golf, drives to Mabry Mill on the Blue Ridge Parkway, Nabs, and a Little Debbie cake now and then. He was a simple man with a grateful heart.
He is preceded in death by his parents, sister Sally Robbins, and brother James “Jim” Hall, as well as nephews Johnny Robbins and Jimmy Hall.
He is survived by his son, Pat Hall of Cary, NC; daughter Theresa Attwell (husband Evans Attwell) of Houston with whom he lived for eleven years before entering a skilled nursing facility. Grandchildren Patrick Attwell of Memphis, TN, and Mary Evans Attwell of Austin, Tx. He is also survived by his sweetheart Susie Baker of Greensboro, NC; nieces and nephews Randy Robbins,Kim Hewitt, Mark Steven Hall, and Elaine Greene.
A private funeral mass will be held.
The family wants to express heartfelt gratitude for the nurses at Paradigm, and the staff of Vantage Hospice.
For those wishing to honor Cy’s memory, children and adults in need of receiving assistance for eyeglasses was very dear to his heart. He would be truly proud and honored to be the reason others receive the gift of sight in his memory. Contributions can be made to New Eyes for the Needy, Appalachian Community Action and Development Agency in his memory. You can mail checks to:
AppCaa (Designating New Eyes for the Needy)
175 Military Lane
Gate City, VA 24251
Attn: Hannah Hayden
(This office serves the Norton area)
