Roland “Rollie” Hall, age 63, of River Falls, passed peacefully on Wednesday, January 15th, in the comfort of his home surrounded by the people he loved most in life–his bride and his children.

Rollie was born on April 21st, 1961, in Rice Lake, Wisconsin. He was the oldest of eight children to the most wonderful parents who, through their example, love, and guidance, shaped him into the man he was–Charles and Marla (Bayer) Hall. He was raised in Cameron, where he graduated with the Class of 1979.

During high school, Rollie excelled in sports, particularly as a leader on the football team. His exceptional athleticism and leadership earned him attention from several colleges, and he ultimately chose to attend the University of Wisconsin – River Falls in order to play linebacker for legendary coaches Mike Farley and Ted Thompson. His college football career at UWRF earned him numerous awards, some of which include Defensive Most Valuable Player, a spot on the Kodak All-American Team, WSUC Player of the Year, and All-American honors. In 1995, he was inducted into the UWRF Hall of Fame for his outstanding contributions as a linebacker.

Rollie began his long football coaching career as head coach of the Cameron football team in 1987. He coached there two years and in 1988 helped the Comets to their first conference championship in eleven years and to the second round of playoffs.

After one year in Wautoma, serving as a teacher and head football coach, he took his dream job as a physical education teacher and the head coach of the Lake Holcombe football team, where his teams won seven conference championships, went to the playoffs ten times, and advanced to the state semi-finals in 1993. Lake Holcombe football team reached the peak in 1998 when they won the Division Six State Championship with a 28-0 victory. Lake Holcombe had a record of 102-34 during Rollie’s time there.

Overall, he had a record of 115-50 in sixteen years as a head coach with eight conference championships. He was the District 3 Coach of the Year three times and served on the WFCA Board of Directors for six years.

In 2003, he made what he said was the toughest decision of his life when he left Lake Holcombe and became the Athletic/Activities Director at River Falls High School, in order to spend more time with his family. From 2007-09, he served as the offensive coordinator for the Wildcats. They made the playoffs two of those three years. Although Rollie enjoyed his leadership role, he deeply missed the day-to-day interactions with students that he enjoyed as a teacher and coach.

In 2013, Rollie was inducted into the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

After more than 30 years of teaching and coaching, Rollie retired in 2021 to spend more time with Joan and his family. Out of all his accomplishments in the sport, Rollie took the most pride in the fact that he was able to maintain his goal of making football fun while also having some success. At the end of the day, he believed football is still a game that should be fun for all. He prioritized sportsmanship and character, encouraging his players to carry these values into their lives off the field. Rollie’s open-mindedness, compassion, and acceptance of others defined him as both a coach and a person.

While Rollie’s accomplishments in football were remarkable, his greatest treasure in life was his family. He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. In 1987 he met Joan Hoff, and soon after, they knew they wanted to spend their lives together. The two celebrated their love on July 21st, 1990 at Dobie Catholic Church in Rice Lake. Joan brought a young son, Adam Villeneuve, into the marriage, who Rollie formed a strong, loving bond with. In 1991, Rollie and Joan welcomed their daughter, Rollie’s girl, Andria into the world. Their son, Rollie’s boy, Carter, followed in 1999.

As a family man, Rollie led with kindness, patience, and fun, creating a home filled with laughter, love, and joy. His quick wit, silly sense of humor, playful pranks, and “dad jokes” brought countless smiles and many eye-rolls. He was a role model to his family, showing how to find the joy and fun in life and find a reason to smile every day. Rollie was always ready to brighten someone’s day.

Rollie was a best friend to all three of his children, and he remains their hero. He taught them to be tough while continuing to gently support and guide them, no matter how old they got. He was always willing to give advice or just listen. A quality of his admired by his children was his open-mindedness and willingness to learn and grow as a person. He was also the most fun person to hang out with. He encouraged and joined in on many of his children’s favorite activities–whether it was watching football and joking around during workday office visits with Adam, playing logic and board games and obsessing over nerdy things like Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, and Marvel films with Andria, or hunting, fishing, and spending time in nature with Carter. When his grandchildren Atlas and Zachary came along, they enjoyed riding to school while listening to music with their Grandpa Rollie, as well as humoring him by being an audience for his magic tricks. He also was an amazing grandpa to his beloved granddogs. Rollie’s kids and grandkids always knew how much he loved them, and they loved him back completely.

Rollie made Joan feel cherished and loved every single day of their lives. They did everything together. Some of their favorite activities included watching the Twins (he was a HUGE fan and avid Twins baseball card collector) and Packer games, going to sporting events, fishing, side-by-side riding, bird-watching, and just having their morning coffee together. They loved being together. Joan always told him that the best part of her day is when he walked through the door. He was her light and her heart, and she will cherish their time together forever.

Rollie will forever be remembered and missed by his loving bride, Joan; children Andria Hall (David), Carter Hall, and Adam Villeneuve; grandchildren Atlas and Zachary; siblings Tom (Geri), Joel (Chris), David (Cara), Mark (Hollie), Chari Hall, and Charla (Steve) Kucko; and his in-laws Sheryl (Gale) Reinecke, Karen Hoff, Tish Jacobs, Greg (Cindy) Hoff, Mike (Lisa) Hoff, and Jeff (Kris) Hoff. He is also survived by many cherished nieces and nephews. Rollie is preceded in death by his parents, his sister Charlene Dischinger, and his mother and father-in-law Lois and Marvin Hoff.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Thursday, January 30th, from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM, with a designated time from 6:30-7:30 to share stories, at the River Falls Golf Club and Events Center, 2120 E Division Street, River Falls, WI. Please bring stories to share or, if you prefer, put in a story-box for the family to enjoy later. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred, as the family is creating a scholarship in his memory. Contributions may be sent to the O’Connell Family Funeral Home, 225 South Third Street, River Falls, WI 54022 who were entrusted with his Cremation and Celebration Of Life.