Josephine Weissman Hall, M.D. passed away peacefully at her home in Glendale, CA on Monday, September 21, 2020. She was surrounded by her husband and family.
Josephine was born on December 29, 1937 in New York City. She was the second of two children of Jacob Elijah Weissman and Sonia Litsky Weissman. Josephine’s father and mother met on board a ship bound from Europe to New York City. Their ship was diverted to Boston for quarantine due to the Spanish Flu pandemic. They eventually relocated to New York City. Josephine was raised in Sheepshead Bay, a neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. Her family moved to Manhattan where she attended Hunter College High School and graduated in the class of 1955. She went on to attend Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania and majored in psychology graduating in the class of 1959. She was accepted as the only female in her class at Chicago Medical School (now Rosalind Franklin University) and graduated in 1963.
Josephine conducted her internship at Cook County Hospital in Chicago, IL and trained as an Obstetrician & Gynecology resident at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. She went on to practice in academic roles prior to opening her own private practice in Hollywood, CA. She moved her practice to Glendale, CA in 1982 and continued to see patients until her eventual retirement in 2012. Josephine attended at Saint Joseph Medical Center and was an Assistant Professor at the University of Southern California School of Medicine. She was active in the Chicago Medical School Alumni association and served as the President of the Chicago Medical School Association. She was appointed to the Board of Medical Quality for the State of California by Governor Jerry Brown and served proudly.
Josephine was funny, intelligent, competent and was a tour de force that was unforgettable for anyone whom she encountered. Josephine was larger than life, with a strong character who accomplished many things as a daughter, wife, mother, and physician. Josephine raised five children and was a loving mother and fierce protector of their interests. Even with her busy professional life she always found time for her children. She enjoyed riding dressage and kept a horse at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center for over two decades. Josephine enjoyed baking and was always good at it. She served as the team physician for the St. Francis High School football team in La Cañada, CA from 1989 to 1991.
Josephine was preceded in death by her father Jacob Weissman, her mother Sonia Weissman and her brother Edward Weissman. She is survived by her husband, Jearld Wayne Hall, her children and their spouses: Michael Morris Hall, M.D. (Anne Hall, M.D.), Overland Park, KS, Gillian Greer Esser, M.D. (Conrad Esser), Gig Harbour, WA, James Warren Hall, Glendale, CA, Jesse Wayne Hall, M.D. (Lisa Strahm, M.D.), La Jolla, CA, Cameron Rebecca Hall, Gerlach, NV and her eight grandchildren.
Josephine will be missed dearly by her husband, children, friends and the many patients that she loved and took so much care of.
