Patten - The body of climbing ranger and Patten native Nick Hall was recovered on Thursday from Mount Rainier National Park in Washington by an army helicopter crew.

Hall fell to his death during a rescue mission on the mountain two weeks ago. Weather and avalanche threats prevented the recovery until Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Patten community and Hall's family are preparing for a memorial service in his hometown.

Growing up in Patten, Hall learned at an early age to love the outdoors.

"We're right here next to the north Maine outdoors, Baxter State Park, we'd go in the woods when they were kids in different capacities," said Nick's father Carter Hall.

It's no surprise to Hall's family that he found a job where he could spend his days exploring. For the past four years, Hall was a climbing ranger at Mount Rainier.

On June 21, while on the job helping with a rescue mission, Hall fell 2,500 feet to his death. He was 33 years old.

His family flew from Patten to Washington for a memorial service last week.

Carter Hall told TV5, "I said in the memorial service at Paradise that 'Nick, you've done your parents and hometown proud. Those are admirable things to be a member of a rescue team under hostile situations and still to go and try do your job.'"

Now that his family is back in Maine, they're getting ready for another service, this one in Hall's hometown. It will be held at the Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church.

"[It's] where Nick's parents were married, I was brought up in this church, my parents were married in this church, and both of our sons were brought up in this church, so it's very fitting that we have our memorial services here," said Hall.

He added, "We're very pleased that we live and grew up in a community that will support each other and that ongoing support is going to be even more important going forward."

It's a community that may always remember Nick Hall as that little boy who loved the woods.

"I think he'll be remembered as someone who just enjoyed the outdoors and sharing it with others. His mom and dad and family and community will miss him very much," said Hall.

The memorial service is on Friday at the Stetson Memorial United Methodist Church in Patten. It begins at noon.

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