Walter F. Hohl, 95, quality control manager

Walter Franklin Hohl, 95, of Pottstown, father of the musician Daryl Hall of Hall and Oates, died Friday, July 25, at Pottstown Memorial Hospital.

Word of Mr. Hohl's death came Monday from Jonathan Wolfson, Hall's manager in California. The cause of death was not immediately known, but Mr. Hohl had been hospitalized with pneumonia.

Hall's given name was Daryl Hohl. He changed it for professional reasons.

His father attended North Coventry High School and spent two years at the University of Chattanooga as part of his cadet training in the Army Air Forces. He served as a flight engineer during World War II.

After the war, Mr. Hohl became a quality-control manager at Jacob Pattern Works in Pottstown. The firm does fabricated metal and die casting.

Mr. Hohl was a member of Stichter Masonic Lodge and the Pottstown Industrial Management Club. He was president of the latter for many years. Mr. Hohl also was a lifetime member of Cedarville United Methodist Church in Pottstown.

Among Mr. Hohl's interests were calligraphy, gardening, and studying nature.

"He loved to build things with his own hands and could fix just about anything that broke," his family said in a tribute.

Most of all, though, he loved music. He was a strong tenor and sang in the church choir, where he met his future wife, Betty Wanner, when she was 14 and he 18.

"All his life, he loved singing and listening to singing, especially when it was being performed by his wife or son," his family said.

Mr. Hohl had a good sense of humor. He also had a strong sense of morality formed in an earlier era and was not afraid to speak his mind, his family said. His sensitivity and kindness attracted many friends.

Surviving, besides his wife of 70 years and his son, are a daughter, Kathy Phillips; three grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and two brothers.

Services are private.

Contributions may be made to Cedarville United Methodist Church, 1092 Laurelwood Rd., Pottstown, Pa. 19465.

610-313-8102