Gail Hites

Gail Marie Hites née Wichlan November 29, 1932 – May 9, 2025
In the early hours of May 9, 2025, Gail Hites, at the age of 92, gently passed to her eternal reward in heaven.
Gail was preceded in death by her husband, John (Jack) Hites, mother, Davona Wichlan née Myers, father Leo Wichlan, brother Fr. David Wichlan, brother Robert Wichlan, and sister Joyce (Roy†) Wade née Wichlan. She is survived by her brothers, Felix (Carol†) Wichlan, Daniel (Barbara) Wichlan, and Dennis (Joan) Wichlan. She was a loving mother to Micki (Richard) Struckhoff, Nancy (Dennis†) Greenlee, Christine (Ed) Burlingame, Tracy (Tom) Zander. She was a grandmother to Eric, Lauren, Emily, Adam, Patricia, Sara and Joshua. She also dearly enjoyed 22 great grandchildren.
Gail was born in St. Louis, MO on November 29th 1932, the second oldest of seven siblings. She was baptized, confirmed, and married at Holy Rosary Parish. She attended Holy Rosary elementary and high school. She married her beloved husband of 57 years on January 26, 1952. Together they raised 4 daughters in St. Louis, MO. After her children were raised, she worked as a customer service representative at Emerson Electric in St. Louis, MO.
Gail was a lifelong Catholic. She took comfort in praying the rosary and she cherished a close adult friendship with her older brother, Fr. David Wichlan - a Catholic priest. She was a member of Sacred Heart parish in Festus, MO for many years. She relocated to Springfield, MO in January of 2022 where she was welcomed as a member of Immaculate Conception parish.
The thing that Gail was most proud of in her life was her "big, beautiful family". She very often talked about how lucky and blessed she was to have four smart daughters and so many perfect, beautiful grandchildren and great grandchildren. She delighted in telling people she met that she had 22 great grandchildren! It was a source of great pride and joy for her. Gail had a feisty spirit. She loved to declare that she had to be tough because she grew up with 5 brothers and only one sister.
In addition to her own family, Gail generally delighted in all babies. Every time she encountered a baby anywhere, she had to stop and take a moment to wave or make a face in order to get a smile or a giggle. It made her smile & giggle as well.
Gail liked to describe herself as an introvert, which her daughters found amusing because any time she went to a store, a restaurant, or any public gathering, she would make a new friend and learn most of their life story. She loved to chat with people, learn about them and share stories about her grandbabies! Gail cared deeply about family and friend relationships. She had a group of friends from grade school that stayed in contact well into their 80's, meeting annually for a fun reunion luncheon. When she moved to Springfield, she met many new friends among the residents and staff at The Fremont Senior Living facility where she resided for more than 3 years. She will be missed by many as she joins those loved ones who have gone before her.
Visitation will be held at 10:00 am on Tuesday, May 27th at Immaculate Conception Church, 3555 S. Fremont Ave, Springfield, MO. The funeral Mass will follow at 11:00 am in the same location. A luncheon will follow at the church.
For those unable to attend the Mass in person, a livestream will be provided at https://www.youtube.com/@ICSpringfield/streams
Burial will be held at 1:00 pm on Thursday, May 29th at Jefferson Barracks cemetery, 2900 Sheridan Rd, St. Louis, MO. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or Tunnel to Towers Foundation for veterans (t2t.org)