Ethel Hale

Ethel Mae Cato Hale passed away peacefully on March 27th at the age of 99. Born in Little Rock to Sally McBath Cato and John Cato, she lived a long rich life. She grew up in the Little Rock area. After she lost her father at a young age, her mother remarried William Ryan and grew up on the Ryan family farm. She met the love of her life in Little Rock, Wash Hale. They married and settled in North Little Rock, where she would live the rest of her life. She was a devoted wife and mother, and a proud member of the Park Hill Baptist Church, where she taught Sunday school for many years. After raising her four children, she also worked part-time at the Wash Hale Realty Company. She wrote in her memoirs that despite the tragedies she had experienced, she considered herself one of the luckiest people alive. We will always remember her kindness, her strong faith, and the love she had for her friends and family. We will miss her dearly.

She was preceded in death by many (and too many to mention them all), most notably her parents, her husband, Wash; her daughter, Deloris; her daughter-in-law, Gerry; her half sister Opal; her brother Charlie, and her stepbrothers Patrick, Amos, and John. She is survived by her son Jerry, her son Edward and his wife Julie, her son Randy and his wife Ann; her grandchildren Kris, Brack, and Colin and his wife Anna Beth; her great grandson Luke; and a host of loyal friends, including Pearl, Mayola, and Louise.

Services will be held at 1:00 p.m., Friday, April 1st at Smith - North Little Rock Funeral Home with Pastor Ken Shaddox of Park Hill Baptist Church presiding. A short graveside service will follow at Edgewood Memorial Park. The family will receive friends from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., Thursday, March 31st at the funeral home. Online obituary at www.SmithFamilyCares.com .