George Leon Hallal was born on Jan. 16, 1930, in Brownsville, to Fadell “Fiddle” and Pearl Mitchell Hallal. He served as an altar boy and one of the first choir members at his grandfather’s parish, St. Ellien Syrian Orthodox Church, in Brownsville, across the street from which he lived for most of his life. He also worked at his father’s business, Fiddle’s Confectionery, as a teenager and young adult. George graduated from Brownsville High School and earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Pennsylvania State University. He eventually earned his master’s degree in business from the University of Pittsburgh and a Juris Doctor from Duquesne University. In between his degrees, George served his country in the Korean War as a translator of Russian language after studying at the Defense Language Institute in California. Upon returning home, he worked at Gimbels department store in Pittsburgh. George later became a partner in Webster Hallal Law Firm and was a prominent attorney in Western Pennsylvania until his retirement. He also served on the board of Brownsville General Hospital for many years. As a lifelong Pittsburgh sports fan, George regularly attended football and baseball games and enjoyed them–depending on the season. A generous man, he frequently invited family and friends to attend games with him, or he simply gave them the tickets. The most famous example of George’s generosity involved the 1960 World Series and the Pirates. He promised his younger sister and brother that they could go to the seventh and final game in Pittsburgh, which was unlikely to happen against the heavily favored Yankees. Unexpectedly, Marlene and Joe witnessed the most famous home run in World Series history and a Pirates’ championship. Their older brother could not have been happier for them. George enjoyed regular rounds of golf at Uniontown Country Club and became a wonderful cook and historian of his family’s Syrian heritage. In 1999, he took the trip of a lifetime with his sister and brother to the Middle East to explore his ancestral homeland. During his time in Syria, where his father was born, George met distant relatives near his father’s village, an experience he would always cherish. George was preceded in death by his parents and his sister and brother-in-law, Regina and Michael Sieg. He is survived by his sister and brother-in-law, Marlene and Al Mamary of Norman, Okla.; his brother and sister-in-law, Dr. F. Joseph and Dr. Janice Hallal of McLean, Va.; and six nephews and nieces, Rich Sieg of Pittsburgh, Saundra Irvine (Russ) of Toledo, Ohio, Alexandra Nassief (Mark) of Santa Clarita, Calif., Greg Mamary of Norman, Okla., Matthew Hallal (Jen) of San Geronimo, Calif., and Sara Hallal Friend (Ned) of Seattle, Wash. George is also survived by his dear friend of many years, Nancy Byron of Belle Vernon, and her children, Jamie Byron (Alyssa) of Belle Vernon, and Melissa Echard (Charlie) of Mardela Springs, Md., as well as Nancy’s grandchildren. Visitation will take place at SKIRPAN FUNERAL HOME, 135 Park St., Brownsville, PA 15417, from 4 to 7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2, 2022. The funeral service will be held at St. Ellien Syrian Orthodox Church, 500 Spring St., Brownsville, PA 15417, at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, 2022. Interment will follow in LaFayette Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Ellien Church. Memory Eternal! www.skirpanfuneralhome.com.
