Saturday, November 15, 2008

Hale worked to fulfill the lives of others

T.S. Last Chieftain General Manager, tslast@dchieftain.com

She was a tall drink of water, but Ann Hale's glass was always half full — almost to the point of overflowing.

Hale, 47, died Tuesday, Nov. 11, due to complications of leukemia. She leaves behind her husband, Tom Hale, a teenage son whom she adored, Sam-uel, and countless friends and family members who saw her as an unwavering optimist dedicated to doing good.

"Ann's outlook was the cup was half full and never half empty," said her friend Barbara Romero. "She had great patience and great perseverance and had passion for anything she touched. She was such a super lady. She touched a lot of lives."

Many whose lives she touched will assemble at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15, for a memorial service at Macey Center, the same place she married Tom 17 years ago.

Ann was the type of person who made the most of every minute of her life.

"Ann was always running around and going to meetings," said another friend, Lauren Finley. "When we'd be at lunch her phone was always ringing, and she carried around her laptop. She never stopped."

Asked what she'll remember most about Ann, Finley reaffirmed it was her "positive outlook."

"That's what I admire the most about her," she said.

A friend to youth

Finley and others frequently referred to Ann's devotion to youth.

"Ann did a lot with after-school programs and the Boys & Girls Club. She would do anything for the kids," Finley said.

"She was a strong advocate for the youth of New Mexico and was always there for the community at large," said Romero. "Her and her family got involved in things. If there was a cause, she was one of those people who would get in there and roll up her sleeves."

Up until recently when her disease knocked her down for the last time, Ann worked rigorously on behalf of youth as Project Coordinator for the Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs of New Mexico. She previously served as the Executive Director of the Boys & Girls Club in Socorro and was instrumental in the opening of a branch at the northern end of the county, in Veguita, in 2005.

Ann also was active in organizing free breakfast and lunch programs for school-age children during the summer. She also arranged for summer classes and camps for the kids.

Ann was a key player in bringing in the Gus Macker 3-on-3 basketball tournament that served as a fundraiser for youth programs. With a son who excels at the sport, she was also a backer of youth baseball.

A community leader

Ann served her community in other ways. She volunteered for various community events and activities and served several years as a board member for the Socorro County Chamber of Commerce.

"She was a good friend to all of us," said Terry Tadano, who assumed the role of Chamber director at the beginning of the year.

"When I first started, she was one of the people who was so very helpful," Tadano said. "When we put on our banquet earlier this year, Ann worked night and day to help get things ready, going so far as to put some of her own money into it. She is a great big loss to the Chamber and the community."

Barbara Romero, who is not only a friend but president-elect of the Chamber's board of directors, said Ann was an unselfish person who put other people first.

"She exuded a warm generosity. She was a nurturing person. She always gave and never took anything for herself," she said. "When you met her and she befriended you, it was like you've known her forever. She had the kind of personality where she invited you in. It was never about her. She always made it about you."

A fighter

As a testament to her tenacity, all of these accomplishments occurred after Ann was diagnosed with Chronic Mylogenous Leukemia in 1999. After undergoing a stem cell transplant that year, she fought through a series of health issues since that time.

"It would have been easy for her to let the health problems she had control her life," said her sister, Diana Ross. "It would have been easy for her to feel sorry for herself and say, 'Why me?' and just take care of herself. But it never, ever slowed her down until the last month. It shows her strength of character."

Ann Hale was a fighter. She showed great courage in her fight against the disease and refused to go down easy.

"She was the youngest of six children. I thought she was supposed to be a follower, but she was a leader," her sister said. "She didn't stand down to anybody, or stand down to her illness. It says a lot about a person to come back after that type of illness."

An All-American

Ann Elizabeth Wise Hale was born in Greenville, Mich., on April 15, 1961, the youngest of six children, to Don Wise and Jacqualyn VanderLey. Her family moved to the White Mountains of Arizona when she was barely a year old and spent a large part of her childhood on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation.

"Here was this 6-foot blonde girl running around the reservation," Ross said. "She grew up being self-conscious about not looking like everyone else ... Basketball was her savior."

Ann excelled at basketball at Alchesay High School and went on to become an All-American at Mesa Community College. She went on to play as a starting forward at the University of Hawaii.

Sports were a big part of Ann's life. She played and coached basketball and volleyball and was a big sports fan.

"The last time I was here was in early October and she was in the hospital, and we were watching baseball on T.V.," said Ross who lives in Salt Lake City. "I think the nurses were amused to see two middle-aged women getting excited about the Rays beating the Red Sox."

Ever the optimist, it's not surprising that her favorite Major League Baseball team was none other than the Chicago Cubs.

Loyal, devoted, tireless and courageous, Ann Hale will be remembered by those who knew her as a kind and caring person, who always maintained a positive outlook on life. Without her, all of our glasses are less full.

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