Jeffrey James Hale

Anacortes - Jeff Hale passed away at home surrounded by his beloved family on Feb. 7, 2023, at age 67 in Anacortes, Washington. He left a legacy of love, kindness, humor, and positivity for all who knew him. As one friend remembers him: "Jeff always managed to make everyone feel like they were exactly who he had hoped to spend the day with." He will be dearly missed.

Jeff savored life. From an early age, he believed in love, forgiveness, and God's grace. Most of all, Jeff cherished relationships. He was a devoted husband, father, brother, and friend. His irreverent, off-beat, and oftentimes self-deprecating sense of humor was magnetic, inevitably drawing those who came into his orbit nearer. Always curious, he relished meeting new people, and made a positive first impression.

Jeff was born in 1955 in Spokane, Washington, to parents Joy and James "Jim" Hale who met during WWII. His mother was an English nursing student and his father was an American gunner on a B-17 bomber. After the war, they married, had four children, and later divorced when Jeff was in elementary school. Jeff moved with his mother and three sisters from Spokane to Seattle where he graduated from Ingraham High School in 1974. Eastern Washington remained dear to his heart. As a teenager, he returned there in summers during hay time to help his aunt and uncle on their farm in Deer Park, describing it as one of his favorite places in the world.

As a young boy, Jeff dreamed of becoming an aviator but was told by others it was just a pipe dream. In his early 20s though, his dream of flying was stoked when he got to join a close family friend on a few training flights. This inspired him, and he would later say that he always felt closest to God while soaring through the clouds.

Having grown up in an all-women household, Jeff was overjoyed to join a fraternity at University of Washington. By pledging Alpha Delta Phi, Class of '78, he gained an immediate band of brothers, fostering many lifelong friendships.

While Jeff earned a degree in Urban Planning from UW in 1979, by the time he graduated, he knew a career in urban planning was not for him. He tried his hand at being a West Coast tour guide, staff assistant to a U.S. senator, radio/television account executive, and wine distributor before committing to a career in the skies.

Jeff and Mary met one fortuitous day in 1981 when she accompanied her younger sister in delivering cookies to her boyfriend, whom Jeff was living with at the time. He was immediately smitten. Later on, he ended up calling nearly every Parker listing in the local phone book to reach her on Thanksgiving. She was touched. By 1983, Jeff and Mary were happily married.

Jeff's love for flying soon became apparent to Mary, and she strongly encouraged him to pursue his dream of becoming a pilot. "Better to do it now while you can rather than regret it later in life," she said. So, in 1984, still a newlywed and about to become a father, Jeff took a job fueling airplanes on Boeing Field while pursuing flight lessons at Galvin Flying Service. From there, he worked up to instructing and flying charters.

In 1989, Jeff was hired by Airlift Northwest, a medical evacuation company. His role as a fixed-wing pilot imbued him with a sense of purpose and fulfillment. The flight nurses with whom he worked remembered Jeff for his "wicked" sense of humor and how he made intolerable situations not only bearable but fun. In the final 15 years of his career, Jeff co-captained a business jet for Executive Jet Management where his flying skills took him to far-off lands including Europe, Australia, Cuba, Mexico, and the South Pacific. When Jeff retired at 60, after having achieved several lifetimes' worth of travel and adventure, he and Mary chose to settle on Guemes Island.

Jeff is survived by his wife of 40 years, Mary Parker-Hale; their two children: Zack Hale of Washington, D.C., and Libby Hale of Bainbridge Island, WA; and his three sisters: Jenny Wilcock of Fort Collins, CO, Julie Hale of Coupeville, WA, and Janet Green of Greeley, CO.

Private services will be held at a later date. The family expresses their gratitude to Fred Hutch Cancer Center as well as Hospices of the Northwest for their respectful, compassionate, and loving care. Remembrances may be made in Jeff's honor to Skagit Land Trust or Dog Is My CoPilot.