Remembering
Gregg Hallam, 51
Friday, March 7, 2025

I met Gregg playing Junior Legion baseball when we were 15. We became friends and laughed all through that season.

Through the years we laughed and did stupid things together like crash his car and get kicked out of the California Bar and Grill for singing karaoke as Max and the pads.

Driving around in Jenn’s van drinking mickeys big mouths and throwing them like grenades out the side door.

Through the years we talked about our families and how as we were getting older about retiring and not working anymore.

My friend you have left us much too soon and I miss you and hope you are finally at peace.

I worked with Greg for many years at Fox 29. He would be coming onto his shift when I was about to go off. We usually had light conversations in the garage. Gregg was a conundrum. He looked like a bad boy on the outside, but he was warm and fuzzy on the inside. I think a lot of the female reporters liked working with him because they knew no one would mess with them with Greg around. He looked unapproachable. But those of us that worked with him knew differently. he was one of the nicest guys you’d ever want to meet. I used to joke around with him about some of the T-shirts he would wear to work that were on the fringe of being rebellious. The first time I heard that he was aI used to joke around with him about some of the T-shirts he would wear to work that were on the fringe of being rebellious. The first time I heard that he was a Swifty I just about lost it. I’m like who Gregg, unbelievable. But it was true. It was like a kick in the stomach when we all got the news that we had lost Greg. There’s been an absence here without him. I’ll miss seeing his long stride as he walks into the garage carrying his gigantic cooler every day. You’d have to scream, hi Gregg in order for him to hear you because he always had his earbuds in. Just know that he is sorely missed at Fox 29. Tina Hogate

I knew I would be back. How could I forget Shadow? I know you pretend not to like dogs but you truly loved Shadow, our handsome strong pitbull boxer mix. I know he ended up with me but you were just as excited when we picked him up from his foster family and brought him home. He was also gone too soon but what an awesome dog he was. I know you loved him. ??

Gregg, my heart aches knowing you're gone. Our last names kept us together in homeroom year after year. Many of the bands that shaped me came from your recommendations – Tori Amos, The Cranberries, Pantera, and Monster Magnet, to name a few. Our karaoke nights, especially our *unique* rendition of "Superstar," are memories I'll cherish forever. Even your teasing about my own musical tastes was a sign of your affection. I'm holding onto the hope that some of our crazy video recordings will resurface one day – especially the legendary Atheistic Amish saga! Though life pulled us in different directions, I'll never forget the bond we forged through music, tattoos, and laughter. Goodbye, my dear friend.

I met Gregg years ago at Fox29. As soon as this tatted up, metal t-shirt wearing guy told me Wilson Phillips Hold On was his song I was all in.

We both had so much in common. AIPH alumni that now made real tv. Berks County kids.
Johnny Claypool’s hex signs, Der Belsnickle, snickerdoodles, the Pagoda. We didn’t grow up together, but hanging with him felt like home.

They say I was his therapist since he spent so much time in my edit bay. Truth is he was my therapy. After both my parents passed he was there to help me get through my dark days. Talking family, music, whatever… was often the best part of my day.
After he went to work nightside, we rarely saw each other, but when we did it was always like no time passed at all.

One of the last long conversations we had started out as two guys fired up about union negotiations going to hell and our issues with the company, but it morphed in to a passionate breakdown of the genius of Taylor Swift deep cuts like Paper Rings. I thought it could have been a gateway to grunge for her. He wasn’t sold on it.

I can’t hear Hold On without thinking of such a unique and good person. We are all lucky to have had him in our lives.

Rest easy my friend.

Hi Erika, my name is Berlinda and I worked with your father here at Fox29 for a number of years.
I am so, so sorry for your loss.
Your father was a great man!
And he loved you very, very much.
Whenever I asked him how you were doing, his face lit up and he had the biggest smile! He adored you and loved talking about some of the amazing things you are doing.
I have fond memories of the times we worked together.
Some years ago we filmed a group of singers one evening at a church for our Christmas show.
It was a long taping.
But in the end, after listening to the songs, Gregg told me, “I felt the love in there tonight.”
From that day on, every time I saw him, I’d scream out, “Hi Gregg Hallam!!!” And we would laugh. I’ll miss that.
May he rest in peace. Rest in peace my friend.
Respectfully, Berlinda

Gregg was simply a treasure. He was a veritable juxtaposition of what you saw not matching what you got. What you saw was a guy who looked like a death metal band’s road manager moonlighting as a TV news photographer. What you actually got was a dad who absolutely adored his daughter. A guy who was truly a renaissance man of recorded sound. A guy who hung on the words of those songs. A guy who listened, laughed, and cared so deeply for all of us who were so lucky to have worked with him. I never saw a dark side in him….. and perhaps I just didn’t know him on that level. What I did know of him, I respected. He was true to his beliefs. He was honest. He was compassionate. When I lost my mother, despite the fact that we had worked different shifts and I had not seen him for many years, he reached out to me. I have come to know in recent days that the loss of his own mother profoundly impacted him. The guy I knew was a prankster. He was going to mess with you whether you saw it coming or not. He was going to laugh and you were going to laugh with him. That’s what I miss most. I miss that laugh. The biggest bit of healing that’s gone on at work has been through telling the stories. Pondering what he would have said about this or that. The brightest light in the room can’t shine forever…but it never goes out. Erika, I hope his light carries you though the hardest days. Know that we’ll keep you and his spirit in our hearts and minds. He was indelible, and we are better for having known him.

Hi Erika, I’m a friend of your Dad’s from Fox29. I saw him a lot when he would come into work. I work dayside and he worked nightside. We had lots of talks, mostly ones that made both of us laugh. He talked of you to a lot of co workers and we all knew how much he loved and cared about you. First, I know I speak for everyone at Fox29, how sorry we all are about the passing of your Dad. We are shocked and so sad and for myself, my weekend has been full of memories of him. I happened to get on Facebook today and your name and picture came up as someone I might know. I have never met you, but I feel I know you from your Dad and from people talking about how much he cared about you. I saw your post about your Dad and it tugged at my heart when I read it. It is a beautiful post and I love the pictures. It shows how much he loved you and how happy he was with you. My heart is with you and your family. I met your Mom a long time ago at a party your Dad and her were at. I hope you are doing ok. Your Dad wouldn’t want you to be sad. So please keep your memories of him in your heart, and know that there are many more people who will be doing the same. Feel free to reach me here and would love to stay in touch. R.I.P. Gregg ??

So, this is going to be hard, but it will be hard no longer how long I wait so just going to jump in and do it.
Gregg and I met when he was 21 and I was 26- yes, I was robbing the cradle. Early on we were friends – I was very close friends with one of his best friends from high school, we called her Gaz then, and she introduced me to this skinny, tall, funny guy who loved music I think he was trying to grow horns in his hair but never quite pulled it off and the beard was not yet happening. Gaz, Gregg and I became inseparable. These were the Art Institute days. There were weird little videos Gaz and him made for his school projects- wonder if they still exist… They were fun days at Seafood Shanty and Bowl Grille- both are gone now. So many funny stories from those early days- I remember Beth telling us we would not have a hangover if we put lemons on our underarms- all of us cutting up lemons and rubbing them on our underarms- Gregg falling near Bruno’s and me convincing him he was fine (and for those who don’t know I am an RN) – we went out drinking all night- the next day he went to ED and had a broken leg- I never lived it down that I had made him go out partying all night with a broken leg. When Gregg and I started thinking about dating we were at Seafood Shanty sitting at a table and he spilled 3 Bloody Marys on me as we talked, each time I got a new one he would spill it again.
Later we married. There were good and bad times. We had a hard time early on- I was pregnant the first time with a baby boy. We were very excited- Gregg was so happy and nervous- our respective families were thrilled. Unfortunately, we lost Erik at 24 weeks gestation. It was so hard on Gregg- he really struggled with that. A few years later Erika came along- she was also born early, at 28 weeks, and spent her first Christmas in the NICU- but despite some early struggles is now the beautiful, smart, amazing young woman who was the joy of Gregg’s life. More on that in a bit. Gregg also lost his mom to pancreatic cancer and that was a terrible struggle for him. He loved her so much and it really was something he could never get past, particularly at holidays he really had a hard time regaining joy, he just missed her so very much.

Gregg and I had a lot of great times together too. I can’t count how many concerts we went to together. I went to some pretty hard core metal shows, but we went to many shows we both loved too. Social Distortion, Stray Cats, Dido, Shooter Jennings- I know there are many more we both loved. We went to the first and only Metallica Fest in NJ together- lot of great bands. He also came with me to people I loved. I can’t tell you how many times I dragged him to Lemonheads or Evan Dando shows… I remember once we were at a small venue in Philly and he disappeared- I went upstairs where there were couches and found him asleep on a couch. He went to a Jason Isbell show with me, still my very favorite (listen to his lyrics!) He recently told me he had been listening to Zack Bryan, and I would love him, and I have been listening- he was right- I love him! Hoping to have his T shirt for the celebration of life. (Ordered it but hasn’t arrived yet- back up plan- Ace Frehley- thanks Krista!) As with everyone who knew Gregg music was something we shared and loved together. It was a really important component of our relationship. We loved the house on 59 Sycamore Drive. It was our dream house when we moved in with a big deck overlooking the woods. Erika grew up there. We had so many wonderful times with family- Stacey and Beth and Jeff and Bob and Cathie and Amanda and Braeden and Cole. I was so happy to hear how close Gregg became with the nieces and nephews as they grew and how proud he was of them. Gregg had also recently started to reforge a close bond with his father, Bob, and that was so very important. I was so happy to hear this had happened.

I loved Gregg so much, and I think everyone who knew us well knew it. In his last letter his mom wrote him she said something like “Janine loves you so much- please be good to her!” We had some beautiful times in our marriage, but it was hard. He had a sadness in him I wanted so badly to fix but I never could. I know he loved me too, but maybe he never fully could love me the way I wanted to be loved because of that deep sadness. We gave it a good try though for a long time and we created a beautiful daughter.

Erika… what can I say. He loved her so very much. Their relationship had really taken off and they had become so close over the past years. She cherished her dad (and always will), and he cherished her. It hurts so much to know she will not have that funny, amazing and so very unique presence in her life. But she always will always have the memories and stories. Gregg and I talked still, mostly about Erika, but music and life too. Of course, Erika always kept me posted about what was going on in his life- and vice versa I think, so I still felt close to him. A few months ago, he called me, something about Erika and he said to me something along the lines of- “Janine, I want you to know that I think you are such a great mom to Erika, you really have been wonderful to her and I am so happy you are her mom.” Something like that. It really touched me, because he was not often that sentimental with me. I told a few people. But now I wish so much I remembered exactly what he said because I think, if he was planning what ultimately happened, that may have been his words to me to make sure I knew how much he appreciated me. I wish I had those words back.

I am remarried now, and Mike never really had the chance to get to know Gregg. He knows him through Erika and I, they only briefly met a few times. Mike has been a rock for me through all this and he will be at the celebration on Friday. It been a hard time for him too, having me so involved in all this stuff that as the ex-wife it is maybe not as expected. And seeing my pain and Erika’s pain and feeling it too. But as Erika’s Mom and still having the utmost of love and respect for Gregg as my former husband, friend and father of our only child, I have really wanted to play a big part in the proceedings. And Mike has been so strong through all of this. I wish you two had the opportunity to know each other, really know each other. You could have bonded over your love of music and your love of Erika and over having both had to deal me, and I know I can occasionally be a pain in the butt.

So much more to say but going to leave it here. Not promising this is all though- I may be back if I think of something urgent I left out. You are gone way too soon Gregg- I already miss you like crazy...

For Gregg:

Gregg was a really special guy, truly one of a kind. He was a walking contradiction in ways, a curmudgeon with a heart of gold. But his outward appearance was deceptive, Gregg wasn’t “Eeyore” on the inside, he was very introspective and sensitive. He struggled like all of us, but his tattoos, hats and jean jacket covered in patches and pins was his armor for this world.

Everytime I’d see him in recent years he’d have a new addition on his hands, his legs, his arms. He loved his tattoos, almost like they protected him from the cold, harsh realities of his job as a photojournalist and the world changing over the last few decades. Fires and shootings, protests, riots, plane crashes, murder and mayhem, a pandemic; “sometimes,” he said, “it gets to be too much”.

Somehow he’d find a way to talk it out with one of us and rise above, that’s when the “real Gregg” as I like to call it would shine.

He was such a great dude, he visited me in the hospital when nobody could because we were in a pandemic, he would bring me records or CD’s just “because he felt like it”, he’d swing by my edit bay just to check in for a half hour to see how things were going.

We always talked music, he loved to recommend bands and albums, record labels, you name it. He’d always show me concert clips and music videos, he’d get excited and loved to teach me about his world. He was passionate about his unique tastes and again, he wore them proudly. However, you couldn’t change Gregg’s mind, he was as stubborn as a mule because passions ran deep and he stood by his opinions proudly.

We saw a lot of shows together because it was our escape, a release, it was always very important for him to have his music, me too. Many times when I was headed home I’d swing by his live truck to say goodnight and he’d be in there with phone in hand. headphones on and his eyes closed just grabbing a piece of that world.

Music was everything… Gregg WAS music, from new wave, metal and punk in the 80’s to Black and Death Metal and Grunge in the 90’s and 00’s, it was his lifeline, the light at the end of the tunnel… Music brought him peace, happiness and healing when things turned dark.
Sometimes he reveled in the shadows and the darkness, he liked to test himself and those aural boundaries because it made him feel alive.

He had a wicked sense of self deprecating humor, he loved to laugh and deep down inside he was a great big teddy bear. I can hear his laugh now, it was infectious and you wanted to make him laugh more so you could hear it. If you actually took the time to get past that hard veneer and learn about him, Gregg was like French bread, hard on the outside but soft and warm on the inside.

He’d hate that fucking analogy, that’s why I used it.

He loved light fare too, his goofy television shows, movies, when I was in Cleveland he asked for a couple pics of the “A Christmas Story” house. He frequently admitted he enjoyed being a nerd, loved Culture Club, “Hold On” from Wilson Phillips, The Bachelor, and of course, Taylor Swift.

Sometimes it was hard to take him serious, that was the catch, he always caught you off guard. He was one of the funniest people I’ve ever known, his sense of humor was mischievous and on point.

He loved to debate, argue about things he liked. He loved to tell stories but hated talking politics and the harsh realities of the daily grind and this world. He was very supportive and was always there for me when I was down, especially when I lost both of my parents in the recent years.

He said to me: “Hey buddy sorry to hear about your mom. I know how much it hurts, my mom died 15 years ago. It’s just one of the worst pains… Hang in there”

When I said: “Love you bro, appreciate the kind words. It means a lot.”

His response: “Ditto”

That meant the world to me.

One thing was true, he loved his little girl, Erika and he doted on her like no other… and Gregg was so proud of her accomplishments and who she is becoming. He took great pride in her hard work and he’d talk about her often, you could tell he was a great parent. Whenever I’d ask him about her he’d light up and get that sheepish grin from ear to ear.

It’s hard to believe he’s gone, left this world for something he believed to be better.

In many ways Gregg wasn’t about this world, tough as nails but even he would most likely admit he was far too sensitive for this place. Like many of us I really, really, really wish he was still here, I’m gonna miss those talks, miss his advice and his laughter, the ball-busting, his excitement over a new album or something he heard or a concert we could go to on the way. I wish he would have reached out to one of us in his time of need, I like to think we could have turned him around to see the light.

Despite his sometimes difficult demeanor and hard shell, Gregg knew there was much more to this life than what’s going on day to day. He knew there was something beyond this thing called life, but like all of us he didn’t know what it is. But he believed there was more… he quietly embraced it, the clues are in the music he cherished.

And as one of his favorite artists Nick Cave sang, with lyrics by Bob Dylan,

“When you're sad and when you're lonely
And you haven't got a friend
Just remember that death is not the end
And all that you held sacred
Falls down and does not mend
Just remember that death is not the end

When you're standing on the crossroads
That you cannot comprehend
Just remember that death is not the end
And all your dreams have vanished
And you don't know what's up the bend
Just remember that death is not the end
Not the end, not the end

When the storm clouds gather round you
And heavy rains descend
Just remember that death is not the end
And there's no-one there to comfort you
With a helping hand to lend
Just remember that death is not the end
Not the end, not the end
Just remember that death is not the end

For the tree of life is growing
Where the spirit never dies
And the bright light of salvation
Up in dark and empty skies
When the cities are on fire
With the burning flesh of men
Just remember that death is not the end”

I believe Gregg always had hope, he knew there is something beyond sadness and loss.

I believe music was a great source of comfort when facing isolation, the daily disasters, finding our place within the sadness in the world.

I believe Gregg always looked for love, knew love, he cherished it. Deep down inside I believe he felt the afterlife promised something beyond this broken world. He wanted to see past the darkness and revel in the light or whatever was behind it.

We’re going miss you buddy and it’s not going to be the same without you, I love you brother.

Gregg will definitely be missed...he was such a funny guy. Gregg has a Heart full of Love....Gregg & I had many many talks & laughs while at Fox 29..RIP My Guy! ??????????????????

Unfortunately I'm going to be away and will not be able to attend his celebration of life gathering. Although I didn't know Gregg well ... our paths crossed working stories over the years. Like many have already stated ... there were many wonderful layers to this man. There was nothing conventional about Gregg - which made him that much more interesting. His 'twisted' sense of humor, intellect and sincere compassion for others were certainly notable. Our jobs put us in some pretty dangerous situations at times ... yet Gregg had a way of breaking the ice with even the most ominous characters. We always had each others back in those moments and I'll forever cherish that. The laughs, bitch sessions, comradere all made for some wonderful memories. It was an honor to have known you brother.

My sincere condolences to all his friends and family.

We grew up together as kids. Who can forget the trips where us 6 kids were thrown into the back of a pickup truck…or a station wagon..(all the way to Disney!). I’ll never forget, kickball in the street, “sledding” in plastic bags down your driveway (actually being thrown down by our dads), and my favorite…babysitting and you chasing your sister up the stairs with a butter knife cause you were gonna “kill her”. RIP Gregg! Wishing you eternal rest by your mom’s side. Til we meet again. Xoxo