Shirley Ann Hales' Obituary
Shirley Ann Tyler Hales graduated from this existence on October 16, 2020 at Lotus Park Assisted Living Center, due to natural causes. She was born in Twin Groves, Idaho on November 13, 1937 to Richard Bruce Tyler and Rhea Delorise May. They later moved to Parker, Idaho, where her younger sister Maren was born.
Shirley attended South Fremont High School in St. Anthony, Idaho, which she graduated from in 1955. After graduation, Shirley worked as a telephone operator in Idaho Falls for a year and attended Rick’s College (1957-58) where she earned her Associate Degree and 2-year teaching certificate for the state of Idaho. Shirley taught 3rd grade at Groveland Elementary in Blackfoot, Idaho for the 1958-59 school year, attended USU from 1959-60 and received her Bachelor’s Degree in Education and returned to Idaho Falls to teach 3rd grade again for the 1960-1961 school year.
Shirley served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the Texas Mission from June 1961-Dec 1962, where she was a Supervisor of two Sister’s districts. Following her mission, Shirley moved to Ogden, Utah and began teaching for Weber School District in January 1963. She taught for 37 years at four locations in the district (MarLon Hills, Hooper, Bates and North Ogden Elementary Schools). Mom loved most the opportunities she had to teach first graders to read and shared her love of literature with all the children that she taught, both at work and within her own home. During the summers of 1968, 1969 & 1970, mom worked on and received her Master’s Degree in Education at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley.
Mom enjoyed going on trips with family and friends, whether it was trips to Minnesota , South Dakota and Washington with her parents and sister to visit extended family; archeological/natural wonder adventures with friends in Colorado and Southern Utah or campouts with Richard and the girls that took them to Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, British Columbia and all around Utah. Mom was a collector of maps and unique memorabilia from each of her trips and was always ready to plan and provide as many details and interesting side trips to go site-seeing on our way to various destinations.
Shirley married Richard Mark Hales on October 4, 1975 in the LDS Logan Temple in Utah. They had one daughter together. Shirley was also a loving and supportive step-mother to Richard’s two daughters. She loved having all of their daughters and their growing families together for family events and celebrations. She loved making baby quilts for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren as time and her arthritis allowed. Shirley was diagnosed with breast cancer the Autumn of 2000 and faced this challenge with the same grit and determination that she had with so many other of life’s challenges and tests. After undergoing a mastectomy and about one year of chemotherapy, mom was declared to be in and remained in remission.
Shirley loved playing the piano and singing. Buying her piano shortly after she moved to Ogden was one of her favorite stories to share. She sang in multiple school groups and choirs during high school and in community groups and choirs for many years after high school. She was known to sing solos at recitals in the community as well as at church. Mom was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She served in various callings in the Primary, Young Women’s and Relief Society at the ward and stake level. Mom especially enjoyed her callings in Family History, as a temple patron and completed a service mission with Richard in Ogden as Inner-City Service Missionaries from November 2006 to November 2007. This experience brought them back to some of the Ogden neighborhoods mom had resided in when she first moved to Utah and brought back many happy and fun memories.
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