Sidney Hall Jr. ... 50-year lobsterman; never ate one

NORTH BERWICK, Maine - Sidney M. Hall, Jr., 88, of North Berwick, died peacefully at his home on Tuesday, July 26, 2022.

Sid was born in Rochester, N.H., on July 18, 1934, the son of Sidney M. and Clara (Hanscom) Hall. He graduated Dover High School in 1951 at the age of 16. Over the years, Sid had a full gamut of jobs. In 1954, he started at Prime Tanning in Berwick for a few years, then to Great Falls Bleachery in Somersworth as a steam engineer for the next eleven. He was at Simplex in North Berwick for a few years until working for Hall Brothers Roofing in 1972. In 1984, Sid ventured into starting his own roofing company, Sid Hall Roofing.

Sid moved out of North Berwick to Wells in 1965 after purchasing The Linger Longer cottage on Webhannet Drive, a summer rental and built a new home on the marsh side of the property. Sid owned and rented several beach properties on Wells Beach. In 1971, he moved to an historic home on the Sanford Road and started an antique business in the barn. He later moved to a property on Rt 1 and owned the "Whiffletree Antique Store" and loved a good antiquing day, searching for wares for the store. He especially loved finding and collecting carnival glass. During this time, he took on his next adventure of being the captain of his own lobster boat, the "Johanne II". Sid loved his time on the sea, taking friends on lobstering trips through the years. The curious thing about Sid is that he caught lobsters for over 50 years and never ate one - he hates lobster! In more recent years, after he moved back to North Berwick, he was famously known around town as the "Sanford & Son" guy who recycled and salvaged metals for anyone who needed it. Sid was also a local 'icon' at Town Pizza, where he and his buddies would gather to solve the day's problems. In his younger years, he enjoyed traveling to the Grand Caymans, Hawaii and his home in Nova Scotia. In his spare time, Sid loved cutting fire wood, trying his luck at the casinos and a good fireworks show. Sid also enjoyed attending services at Bethel Christian Church.

Anyone who had the privilege to know Sid, in whatever context, knows he was a wonderful, funny, generous and kind man with his Maine dry humor and a work ethic like no other. His stories will live on for generations to come. Sid will certainly be missed by many.

Sid was predeceased by his first wife, Phyllis (Libby) Hall; and their baby in 1958; his second wife, Johanne (Moulen) Hall, in 1978; and third wife, Rita Lorraine (Littlefield) Hall, in1991.

Surviving is his daughter, Sue Ann (Roy) Taylor, of Canton, Ga.; son, Stanley (Susan) Hall, of North Berwick; son, Bradburn Billings, of Barrington, N.H.; daughters, Laurie Billings and Tanya (Michael) Gosselin, all of North Berwick, brother, Dana Hall, of Berwick; 6 grandchildren, Michael, Katharine and Jessica Taylor, Teresa Bennett, Shane Billings and Sidney Gosselin; 8 great-grandchildren, Ethan, Alex and Parker Taylor, Hallam Cooper Taylor, Lionel Cooper Taylor, Avery, Alexis and Ada Bennett.