Couple found dead in State College home were well-known for community involvement
Hal and Natalie Hallock, a State College couple known for their iconic purple house and eccentric personalities, died Wednesday, the Centre County coroner’s office said Thursday.
Borough police officers arrived about 1:43 p.m. Wednesday to their purple, pink and gold home at 211 W. Prospect Ave. after family members were unable to contact them. Both were found dead inside the home when police entered.
There were no gunshot wounds, signs of trauma, violence or foul play, borough police officers Keith Robb and Bradley Smail said Wednesday. Autopsies have been scheduled and the results are expected to be released “in a few days,” Deputy Coroner Deb Smeal said.
“It was a complete shock,” Ashley Hallock, Hal and Natalie’s granddaughter, said. “Getting the call to hear that both of your grandparents have passed is not one that you’re used to hearing. Maybe one goes and then shortly after the other goes. I work in a hospital so I’ve seen that, but having to deal with both people at the same time is very hard, very shocking and hard to come to terms with. The reality really hasn’t set in for any of my family yet.”
The now-unmistakable home entered the Hallock family when it was purchased by Philip Hallock, Hal’s father and Penn State architecture professor.
He painted the house soon after completing three additions. And though there are several rumored reasons for choosing the eye-catching colors, Ashley Hallock said it was “just the fact that they liked the colors purple and pink.”
Hal, 75, graduated from State College Area High School and Penn State. He later earned a master’s degree from Arizona State University and returned to Happy Valley, where he served for decades as a beloved substitute teacher at all five school districts in Centre County.
“Hal will be remembered for his ability to connect with students,” Penns Valley Elementary and Intermediate School Principal Shannon Reeder said in a statement. “When the purple Corvette pulled up to your school, there was always a buzz in the building because you knew Hal was here. He embraced his job with effortless joy and positivity. The kids loved him for it and the teachers respected him. Our hearts go out to their family and friends and we are grateful for the time he shared in our schools.”
Several former students posted tributes to the Hallocks on Facebook, including lifelong State College resident Denise McKee.
Hal’s purple Harley Davidson, “hippie-type” clothes and Elvis-esque mutton chops were some of his defining characteristics, McKee said Thursday during a phone interview.
“Whenever you walked into a class, if you had a substitute, a lot of time it was, ‘Oh, gosh — a sub,’ ” McKee said. “When it was Mr. Hallock, it was like, ‘Oh, cool. It’s Mr. Hallock.’ You just knew that it was going to be fun. He had a different way of presenting and looking at art, and getting you engaged and showing you that there’s a different way to see things.”
The two were also active in the community, including volunteering at the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts and First Night State College for at least two decades.
Their passion for art even earned them a place on Michael Pilato’s mural at the intersection of East College Avenue and Hiester Street.
“They were wonderful people,” Arts Festival and First Night Executive Director Rick Bryant said. “They didn’t shop where I shopped as far as their clothes are concerned, but they were super creative and filled with joy. They liked working with young people and they brought a special something to the Arts Festival.”
Hal and Natalie, 71, were married for at least three decades, Ashley said. They met after Natalie moved from her native Puerto Rico to State College.
They had similar interests, like her makeup, their motorcycle or driving their purple Polaris Slingshot around downtown State College to celebrate a Penn State football victory.
“They would drive around downtown celebrating with anyone that was walking by. They’d be beeping, honking and have their hands in the air,” Ashley said. “I was walking to the parking garage once and they drove past. The people I was with were like, ‘Did you just see those people?’ Laughingly, I was like, ‘Yeah. They’re my grandparents.’ Anything with being a part of the community, they were there.”
This story was originally published December 5, 2019 at 12:47 PM.