Ronald Gene Hales

Ronnie Hales, 85 of Oklahoma City, died Sunday, December 26th in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He was born in Warner, Oklahoma on December 2nd, 1936 to Jess and Polly Hales (Kennedy).
Ronnie grew up living in Warner, Muskogee, Blackwell, and Midwest City, but Warner was always home and where both sets of his Grandparents resided.
Ronnie graduated from Midwest City High School Class of 1956, where he was an athlete lettering in football, track, and wrestling. He then attended Connors State College on a football scholarship and received a degree in education from Northeastern State University, and later obtained a master's degree from Northeastern. Ronnie served in the United States Army.
Ronnie met his late wife Donna in Blackwell, Oklahoma while in high school and although they went their separate ways, they ended up marrying and shared over fifty-seven years together. They made their home in Warner where they were an interregnal part of the community for fifty-two years before moving to Oklahoma City in 2014.
Everyone in Warner knew Ronnie Hales as "Coach Hales". He began coaching at Warner High School in 1962, where he started the football program. In his third year, the 1966 team went undefeated in regular season and made its first state playoff. In addition to coaching football, Ronnie also coached baseball, track, and girls' basketball. He was the Warner Athletic Director and later High School Counselor.
Ronnie is a member of both the Oklahoma Coaches Association Basketball Hall of Fame and the Oklahoma Girls Track Association Hall of Fame. In twenty-five years of coaching girls basketball he posted a 424-193 record, including a state appearance in 1967 as well as coaching two all-state players. He retired from coaching in 1991 but came back later to teach part-time.
Coaching was a huge part of who he was for many years and he impacted the lives of hundreds of students, most of whom he taught to drive as well. After retirement another group of young lives came along to refer to him as "Papa", a role he loved beyond measure, most recently enjoying his newest great grandbabies.
Ronnie loved to fish, shoot quail, frog hunt, and raise a few cattle. He was a long-time member of the Warner First Baptist Church.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Donna, his sister Linda, and his daughter Ronna.
He is survived by his daughter Dana Webb and husband Duane of Oklahoma City, his son Bryan Hales of Webbers Falls, and son he and Donna were blessed to get from her sister, Bill Fraser, and wife Mary of Muskogee.
He is also survived by his grandchildren Kim Milligan, Jess Webb (Brittany) of Bartlesville, Ronnie Milligan of Warner, Hilary Watkins (Garrett) of Choctaw, Kristi Wofford (R.J.) of Muskogee, Katlin Fraser of Muskogee and Grace Fraser of Muskogee, as well as great grandchildren Jaylen Milligan, Jaiden Wofford, Eli Milligan, Harper Milligan, Laney Fraser, Jesse Fraser, Emmitt Milligan, Henley Watkins, Maizyn Webb and Ryker Wofford. He is also survived by several cousins.
In lieu of flowers, Ronnie's family has requested memorials be made to Warner First Baptist Church, P.O. Box 250, Warner OK 74469.
Services will be at 2:00 PM Monday January 3, 2022 at Warner First Baptist Church with Pastor Justin Villines officiating. Interment will follow at Warner Memorial Cemetery with Jess Webb, Bill Fraser, Johnny Lewis, Ronnie Milligan, Chuck Smithson, R.J. Wofford, and Paul Whitley serving as pallbearers.
Honorary pallbearers will be Duane Webb, Leo Smithson, Charlie McGrew, Art DeCamp and Bob Densford.
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