Alan Hull, 79

Alan Kingsbury Hull passed away after a lengthy illness on Oct. 1, 2026, in Boise, Idaho, at the age of 79. Alan was born June 30, 1947, in Moscow, Idaho, to Marjorie and Alden Hull.

Alan grew up in Wallace, Idaho, with his sister, Stephanie, and his brother, Larry (nicknamed Dode). Surrounded by paternal grandparents, aunts, uncles, and numerous cousins, the family shared adventures, holidays, picnics, and dinners, as well as water sports at Hayden Lake and skiing at Lookout Pass.

Throughout grade school and high school, Alan excelled in academics and sports. A proud “Wallace Miner,” he played both offense and defense on his high school football team for four years and was named “All-State Center” as a senior. He also won numerous tournaments and awards as a member of the high school golf team and while golfing throughout Idaho and Washington’s Inland Empire.

At age 18, Alan began working in the mines of the Silver Valley and he became a proud “Hard Rock Miner.” He concluded his mining career as a stope miner, using a jackleg drill to bore holes for explosives in the rock walls. His mining experience left him with lifelong hearing loss in one ear. 

Alan continued developing his academic and golf skills as a “Vandal” at the University of Idaho, where he was a member of the Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity and the varsity golf team. In 1969, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in chemistry and zoology. After graduation, he attended dental school at the University of Washington. After just two days, he realized dentistry was not his passion and returned to the University of Idaho to study law, following in the footsteps of his father, uncle, and paternal grandfather. He graduated with a Juris Doctorate degree in 1973.

While Alan was attending law school, he began dating his future wife, Cathy Campbell, a Delta Gamma from Boise, Idaho. They soon discovered how much they had in common: both had been born in Moscow after World War II, in the same hospital room and delivered by the same doctor, just four months apart. Both had maternal grandfathers who were pharmacists, and their marriage would be the second Phi Gamma Delta–Delta Gamma (Fiji-DG) union in the immediate family. Together, they water-skied, snow-skied, backpacked, fished, played baseball, and golfed. Their match seemed meant to be and lasted more than 55 years. They even played basketball on their wedding day. Cathy credits Alan with improving her golf game; he continued offering tips long after he was unable to play.

After Alan graduated from law school, he and Cathy moved to Boise. Their first son, Jason, was born in 1974, followed by Jeremy in 1977. Alan coached the boys’ baseball, basketball, and soccer teams; taught them to snow-ski, water-ski, hunt, and fish; and led them in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. The family shared many wonderful adventures in McCall. Alan taught the boys to drive on the mountain backroads of Wallace and Lookout Pass, operate a boat, and master the skill of backing up a trailer. Together, they logged thousands of miles on road trips throughout the West for vacations, Vandal football games, golfing adventures, and work.

Alan began his legal career in 1973 as a clerk for the Idaho Supreme Court. After his clerkship, he worked in both the criminal and civil divisions of the Ada County Prosecuting Attorney’s office. 

In 1975, Alan entered private practice with the law firm of Quane, Smith, Howard and Hull. His first case involved litigation arising from the Sunshine Mine fire in Kellogg, Idaho, in which 91 miners died. Alan was the only attorney in the related cases who had actually worked as an underground hard rock miner. 

In the early 1980s, when litigation was threatened over damage from a leaking roof at the University of Idaho’s Kibbie Dome, he demonstrated his Vandal spirit by climbing inside the roof structure with the inspecting engineers.

In 1998, Alan co-founded the law firm of Anderson, Julian and Hull. In the later years of his career, he concentrated on workers’ compensation. He also authored papers on the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and the Idaho Workers’ Compensation Act.

While in law school, Alan served as editor-in-chief of the Idaho Law Review. He was a member of the Idaho State Bar Association for more than 50 years and chaired its Insurance Committee. He also belonged to the Defense Research and Trial Lawyers Association and the International Association of Industrial Accident Boards and Commissions.

Alan is survived by his wife, Cathy; his sons, Jason (Rhonda) and Jeremy (Janelle); his beloved grandchildren, Natalie and Patrick; and his sister, Stephanie Liska (Ron). He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Connie McReynolds; his brother-in-law, Bill Campbell Jr.; his nephews, Jamey McReynolds and Tyler (Kylie) McReynolds; and his great-nieces, Hayden and Dylan McReynolds, all of Boise. Also surviving him are his nieces, Debra Liska Oliva (John) and Kimberly Liska, and his nephew, Brian Liska (Heather), all of Arizona. And surviving him are his special grand dogs, Lola and Gus.  

He was preceded in death by his father, Alden; his mother, Marjorie; his brother, Larry (Dode); and his brother-in-law, Wally.

In respecting Alan’s wishes, there will be no services. Cremation arrangements were entrusted to The Cremation Society of Idaho.

In remembrance of Alan, please consider a memorial donation to St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital, The Idaho Foodbank, The University of Idaho Foundation, or your preferred charity. St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital, c/o St. Luke’s Health Foundation, 400 S. Broadway Ave., Boise, ID 83702, Website: www.stlukesonline.org. The Idaho Foodbank, 3630 E. Commercial Court, Meridian, ID 83642, Website: www.idahofoodbank.org. University of Idaho Foundation, 875 Perimeter Drive, MS 3143, Moscow, ID 83844-3143. Website: www.uidaho.edu.

Our family extends our heartfelt gratitude to CornerStone Senior Living, Keystone Hospice, and Keystone Health for their warm, compassionate care of Alan during his final months.

“The purpose of life is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson