COLUMBIA, S.C. — For many people Tom Hall embodied everything that was good about people and Columbia.
"I count myself as one of the fortunate hundreds of people, who got to dance with him," said restaurateur Kristian Niemi, who owns Bourbon, Black Rooster and the Dragon Room, as he held back tears reflecting on the life of his friend, Tom Hall.
"If you ask anybody in town about Tom Hall, kind of what he did was he brought people together in all these disciplines of the arts and activism and everything. He could get you excited about anything," said Niemi.
Hall wore many hats, he was an attorney but also a filmmaker, musician, restaurateur just to name a few.
He was a native of Chester and a graduate of The Citadel in 1989.
He had started a restaurant in Georgetown called, 'Between the Antlers'.
The restaurant posted on their Facebook page, "We are sad to announce the passing of our founder Tom Hall. He passed away last night in a car accident. Our entire Antler family is devastated and there are no words to explain our grief. Please in the coming days keep Amy and their entire family in your prayers. "
"One thing about Tom was that he was the kind of guy who could take a pack of Lance crackers and 3 or 4 warm beers and turn it into a party you would be talking about weeks later," said Niemi.
Which is essentially what Niemi and Hall did the year they started the local Mardi Gras festival when they founded the Krew ColumbiaYa-Ya.
The first year they saw three to four hundred attendees and raised over $7,000. The next year the attendance rose to three thousand.
"It was never about Tom, it was about everyone else. Mardi Gras here there are 24 bands that all want to play, they want to be here, they get paid almost nothing. All the money we raise goes to the expenses for the event and charity but all these bands loved him and wanted to be a part of it."
After parting ways the evening of January 20th, Kristian Niemi would remember hugging his friend and exchanging the words I love you, one final time.
Hall died that evening in a single-car accident on Bluff road.
"Everybody walks away from this life of having him in it with a greater appreciation towards creativity, spontaneity, and that schwa de vivre he had. He was kind of a beacon of light to so many people."
Niemi said the Mardi Gras theme of the festival will be 'Long Live the King' in memory of his dear friend, Tom.
The festival will take place February 10th.
A service for Hall will be held this Thursday at 2pm at St. Matthews Parish in Fort Motte.
He leaves behind his parents, a brother and sister, his wife Amy Peterkin and this three sons Brice, Logan and Graham Hall.