Ellsworth Hunter Hale, Sr. (Ells) graced everyone with his beautiful smile and his dry wit. In his later years when he needed a cane to steady his walk, he would tell everyone that his Cain made him more Abel.
Ells was an avid tennis player. He was self-taught and by the time he was in high school, he was playing and beating college players. Because of the Great Depression, Ells was unable to serve an LDS mission, but his life demonstrates his deep love of the Savior. He participated actively in Sunday School even in his later years, his over-sized scriptures draped across his lap. He offered healing blessings, did his home teaching, and actively strove to become a better person.
Ells met Dorothy Bair while working at his father's restaurant, and they were married on September 27, 1937 in the Salt Lake Temple.
Ells learned the art of pie making during basic training for the U.S. Navy in 1946. After working in the café business for years, he began making pies for wholesale trade, and this led to the formation of Hale Bakery, which operated for 50 plus years. Hale Bakery was a place of family, where 4 generations worked and gathered together. It was a place where many of us learned the value of hard work and the stories of Ells' and his siblings' formative years.
Ells graduated this earth on September 11, 2015 at 98 years of age. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 75 years, Dorothy Bair; his parents, Edward Hunter Hale and Gertrude Mae Bates; his stepmother, Joan Young; and all of his siblings: Viola, Clane, Blanche, McKay, Ruth, Emily, Louisa, Edward, Wallace, Jack, Edward Ervin; and his daughter, Sally.
He is survived by 5 of his children: Hunter (Ida) Hale, Richard (Mary) Hale, Jill (Don) Gaillard, Jackie Witzel, Janie Hale; 24 grandchildren; 77 great grandchildren; and 9 great-great grandchildren.
Our family thanks each of you who prayed for Ells and took the time to visit him, listening to his life stories and trying to beat him at a game of checkers. We also thank the caregivers and residents at Avalon Rehabilitation Center.
Funeral services for Ells will be held Saturday, Sept. 19 at 2pm, with a viewing held the hour prior to the services, at the Forest Bend Chapel (7784 S. Highland Dr.). A viewing will also be held Friday evening, Sept. 18 from 6-8pm at Larkin Sunset Gardens (1950 E. 10600 S. Sandy, UT).
