Oscar (Michael) Hall passed in peace on September 8th, 2024 surrounded by a monumental amount of love. Oscar was born on August 27, 2014, three and a half weeks early at Women & Infants Hospital in Providence, RI to an excited duo; mother Cara McGowan and father Jonathan Hall.
From the moment he took his first breath he brought every soul he met an indescribable amount of joy and light. His family, friends and medical staff adored him while mom and dad were baby Oscar blissed out. A brief stay at the NICU readied Oscar for home while the Ronald McDonald House allowed mom to sleep close by. Once home in Newport, RI Oscar’s dog Jack stayed close by his side and his rainbow bridge dog Captain protected from afar.
His first couple years were peppered with joys, triumphs, celebrations and laughter. He played hard and worked hard meeting more new faces in his early intervention visits through Looking Upwards in Middletown, RI. These early years were also challenged by his medical complexity which in turn began small stretches of time spent away from home with mom at Boston Children’s Hospital.
When back home little Oscar attended Pell Annex pre-school in Middletown RI, Pell Elementary in Newport RI and most currently Melville Elementary in Portsmouth RI from 2021 through 2024. Oscar thrived in school and loved all of his friends, teachers and therapists. He especially loved his Portsmouth bus rides with his favorite bus driver and monitor. On his travels to school and back at home, he was lovingly cared for by his BAYADA nurses. Oscar loved them all like family.
Outside of the classroom Oscar was a mover and a shaker. As life brought changes and moves he continued to expand his love circle including his step-dad Eddie Raposa and extended family along with his new dog Frankee Blue. He was a lover of music attending two Newport Folk Festivals but he most especially loved his 90’s R&B. Oscar reveled in any nature time like backpack hikes and stroller cruising, fun family occasions and beach time which included a ferry ride to see friends in Martha’s Vineyard. He also loved learning about birds of prey, being read to, sung to, and above all else laughing. His impish smile, sweet yet spunky spirit and lively laughter was incredibly contagious.
But what he loved the most was connecting with others and sharing his purest love. People were magnetically drawn to his golden spirit and basked in his sunny aura. Like an ancient majestic tree grows branches upon branches, Oscar managed to grow friends upon friends in his short little life and not one single enemy.
Over the years his time at Boston Children’s grew in number of admissions and duration as his complexity and health challenges mounted. His big beautiful family of angels there took the most amazing care and saw him through each admission to another home stretch.
His last two years brought the most grueling medical challenges and though he repeatedly battled like a Viking he eventually succumbed to the natural progression of his seizure disorder and lung disease.
To say he will be missed fails to explain the heartbreaking ache and massive void he leaves with all who loved his beautiful soul. But the memory of his smile, sound of his laughter and sun-kissed rays of his love will always be felt by all who remember him.
Godspeed little warrior.
A massive thank you to all the medical professionals we’ve been so fortunate to meet along the way; from Women & Infants Hospital, Newport & Portsmouth rescue EMTs, BAYADA home healthcare nurses, Newport Hospital staff & Boston Children’s Hospital staff, St. Anne’s staff and our kind friends at Oakley Home Access.
Donations can be made to Boston Children’s Hospital’s Child Life Services https://www.childrenshospital.org/programs/child-life-services or The Ronald McDonald House in Providence, https://rmhprovidence.org/
To honor Oscar’s luminous spirit, we ask those who wish to wear a bright color or even a bowtie to join us at a celebration of life on Tuesday, September 17, 2024 at the Ragged Island Farm, 54 Bristol Ferry Road, Portsmouth, RI 02871.
Friends and family are welcome to visit from 12:00pm-5:00pm, and we will be gathering for a special tribute at 3:00pm.
In lieu of a traditional receiving line there will be multiple opportunities to pay your respects, say prayers, and make wishes to Oscar. There will be a microphone available, and all are encouraged to share stories, memories, poems, and songs throughout the day.
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