Ronald C. Hale

Ronald Creal Hale, age 82, passed away on August 9, 2025, after an extended battle with Parkinson's disease. Ron was born in Nashville, Arkansas, on September 20, 1942, to Gibbs Creal Hale and Georgia Fay Hale. Ron grew up in Arkansas and attended college at Henderson State University where he participated in ROTC and graduated with a bachelor's degree in Physics. This was also where Ron met the love of his life, Margaret Ann Murphy, and began a lifetime love affair, raising a family and experiencing many adventures together. Soon after graduating, Ron was commissioned as a U.S. Army officer and was sent to Tacoma, Washington, on his first assignment. Afterward he was deployed to Vietnam for a year. Ron returned to the States to continue an Army career that sent him and his family to exciting assignments in faraway places like Washington, D.C., Fayetteville, Arkansas (where he completed a master's degree from the University of Arkansas), Germany, and Turkey. After 20 years, Ron retired from the Army as a Lt. Colonel and joined the private sector with Lockheed Martin which included an opportunity to supervise work on the Supercollider project. Ron spent 15 years working at Lockheed before retiring to Texas to be close to family. Throughout his life Ron enjoyed hunting, fishing, skiing and exploring the great outdoors, including multiple trips along the Alaska-Canadian Highway. He was very connected to his local Catholic Church, attending weekly and donating money and time toward making his community a better place. He was also an active member of the Men's Group of the Arlington Newcomers Club for many years. Ron is survived by his wife of 62 years, Margaret; his three children, Anita Smith (Marty), Dave Hale (Ann), and Daniel Hale (Karen); 6 grandchildren who brought him great joy,and four great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at Mansfield Funeral Home & Cremations at 1556 Heritage Pkwy, Mansfield, TX 76063, from 6pm to 8pm on Friday, August 22nd, 2025. A Mass will be held at St. Jude’s Catholic Church at 500 E. Dallas St. Mansfield, TX 76063 at 10am on Saturday, August 23rd, 2025. Burial will be held immediately after at Calvary Cemetery in Mansfield. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to The Michael J. Fox Foundation.