Carol Winbigler doesn’t want her son’s death to define his life.
In the early morning hours of Jan. 17, Daniel Hall was found dead on a bathroom floor following a night of partying in a home at 742 Knox Road 2350N. A heroin overdose caused his death, according to his family. He was 26 years old.
Carol gathered three of Daniel’s four siblings - brothers Erik and Ryan, as well as sister Sara - around her dining room table recently to talk about his life. His oldest brother, Andy, couldn’t attend.
“Daniel was born on Nov. 19, 1982, in Monmouth,” Carol said. “It’s funny - the thing I remember. There was no pain with Daniel’s delivery. Everyone thought that was so funny.
“He was my fourth of five kids, so life was busy. But he was just cute. He had a sweet little personality. He was laid back - just like he was as an adult. He was generous. Ornery.”
Erik was two years older than Daniel, but looked up to him.
“When we were kids, I would have Dan do the dangerous, scary stuff,” Erik said. “If he could do it, then I would try. I remember I would have him go steal cans of pop from the refrigerator when Mom and Dad weren’t looking. It was me and him back then.”
Daniel’s family was close. He grew up wanting to farm with his oldest brother, Andy. The kid who Erik called “my little buddy” kept growing and became a fullback and nose guard for ROWVA High School’s football team. The good-natured, laid-back kid rumbled over opposing linebackers, made smaller defensive backs rethink the advisability of playing prep football and set school weight-lifting records.
Daniel tried Monmouth College and showed promise on the football field. But he didn’t last long at the school.
“Dan wanted to be close to home,” Carol said. “And Monmouth wasn’t close enough. He liked being with his family.”
For more of this story, see the April 30 Galva News.
