Harriet Gilda Hall, 96, of Traverse City, Michigan; The Woodlands, Texas; and Wildwood, Florida, passed away peacefully on March 9, 2023. Born in Haslett, Michigan on December 16, 1926, Harriet graduated from Haslett High School in 1944. After working for the Michigan State Police for 18 months, she married her WWII pen pal, whose name she had picked out of the newspaper while in high school: Navy Aviation Machinist Mate first class, Robert James Staff. When Staff’s Navy plane went down off the coast of Hawaii in 1957, Harriet returned to Michigan from Pearl Harbor with her three children.
In 1959, Harriet married Eugene Paul (“Joe”) Stermer, with whom she lived until his death in 1975. In 1977, she married her third husband, Robert Joseph Hall, Jr., and enjoyed a happy retirement in Northern Michigan. After Hall’s death in 2011, Harriet moved to Texas, where she lived near her daughter until relocating to Florida in 2018.
Harriet enjoyed watching Tom Brady play football; cheering on the Detroit Tigers and Lions; and knitting hats for cancer patients. Her true passion was playing bridge and, though seriously ill, she completed a crossword puzzle and Sudoku only three days before her death. She had a lyrical voice and a delightful laugh and was famous for her pumpkin pies!
In addition to her three husbands, Harriet was preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Gladys (Robinson) Karber, and her siblings, Leonard A. Karber, Wayne F. (”Bud”) Karber, and Edythe H. (Karber) Miller.
She is survived by her children and stepson: Robert J. (“Jack”) Staff; Michael J. Staff; Martha J. (Staff) Stone; and Robert H. Hall. Additionally, she will be missed by seven grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.
Arrangements are being made by Baldwin Brothers of Wildwood. There will be a private memorial service with Harriet’s family at a later date. Condolences may be sent c/o Martha Stone, 4453 Tuscaloosa Path, The Villages, FL, 32163. Memorial gifts may be made in Harriet’s name to the VFW Wounded Warrior Project.
