James Phillip Hale

James Phillip Hale, age 67, of Albion, a loving father who enjoyed laughter, died December 25, 2019.  Born in Albion to Wallace and Myrtle (Hollenbeck) Hale on November 3, 1952, he grew up learning about hard work and enjoying the little things in life. His Aunt Dorothy was a mother figure after his parents died, and he had lots of special memories with her, especially ice skating together. Hunting and fishing were very important to Jim, spending as much of his free time in these activities as possible to provide food for the table and time to slow down for him. He also enjoyed watching TV — especially cooking shows, classic TV, the History Channel and westerns (especially Laramie). As a resident at Eaton County Health and Rehabilitation Services, Jim enjoyed bird watching and could name most of the birds that came to the feeders. He also enjoyed putting together puzzles, playing bingo and solving Sudoku puzzles. Jim worked on a farm for 20 years, then later worked at Lear Corporation in Marshall.
Jim is survived by daughters, Angela (Jeffery) Hill and Trisha Earls (Andy Minix); sons, Thomas Hale and Jesse Hale; grandchildren, Joe, Brandon, Brittany, Matt, Cody, Katie, Nic, Tiffany, Autum, Dylan, Alyssa, Kaden, Josh, Conner, Brooklynn, Hunter, Jase, and Kane; brother, Phillip Hale; and former wife, Shelly Neal and her daughters, Kayla Slone and Rhonda Sizemore; and caregiver Justin at Eaton County Health and Rehabilitation Services, who took excellent care of James. He was predeceased by his parents; and his brother, Wallace Hale Jr.
Memorial services were held December 30, 2019, at Grace Freewill Baptist Church in Albion. If desired, memorial contributions are suggested to the family. Friends and family are encouraged to share memories of James on his Tribute Page at www.PrayFuneral.com. The family is in the care of Pray Funeral Home, Charlotte.