James  M. “Monty” Hull, 88, of Champaign, Illinois died Friday July 5, 1985 in Birmingham, Alabama.  Funeral services at Renner-Wikoff Chapel, Urbana.  Burial in Grandview Memorial Gardens, Champaign.

Mr. Hull was born February 20, 1897 at Noble, Illinois, a son of Henry Arthur and Viola Montgomery Hull.  He married Hazel Pearl Beasley on Thanksgiving Day 1926 at Foosland.  She died in May 1978.

He is survived by two sons, Monty Hull of Cheyenne, Wyo.  and Wendell Hull of Vestavia Hills, Ala.; one daughter, Sandra Newport also of Vestavia; eight grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by two brothers and one sister.

Mr. Hull graduated from Olney High School and received his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois College of Agriculture at U of I; he was a member of the 1924 baseball team.

Mr. Hull was a U.S. Navy veteran of World War I and an active member of American Legion Post 24.  He was a member of the UI “I” club of Champaign and a life-member of the Alumni Association. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church of Champaign.

Mr. Hull was vice-principal and basketball coach at Homer and also was a salesman at Sullivan Chevrolet, Shelby Motors and Kemper-Febert.  He also was a real estate salesman at Hull and Associates.

Mr. Hull had a life-long interest in athletics, pitched for the Knights of Columbus  and regularly officiated at area baseball games.