Barbara Kay Hale

Barbara Kay (Southern) Hale was born in Liberal, Kansas on June 2, 1935 to Leo and Lydia (Hofferber) Southern. She passed away on March 27, 2018 at home in Loveland, Colorado surrounded by her loving husband, Jack, and family.

Barbara graduated from Hooker High School in Hooker, Oklahoma in 1953. She was a baton twirler with the HHS Band and loved to share her twirling experience at a University of Oklahoma football game. During high school she worked at the local drugstore's soda fountain, but was always slightly peeved at having been fired for making the malts with too much ice cream. There she met the love of her life, Jack Hale, student at Panhandle State College and a roommate and basketball team member of Barbara's brother, Arlen Southern. Barbara and Jack were married on August 26, 1953 at the First Methodist Church in Hooker, Oklahoma and settled in as Panhandle students in Goodwell, OK. The family moved to Meade, Kansas in 1954 for Jack's first teaching job. They moved to Fort Collins, Colorado in 1963 where Jack became principal of Fort Collins High School, and on to Windsor, Colorado in 1973 when Jack became the superintendent of Windsor School District RE-4. Loveland became their home in 1991.

While in Windsor, Barbara opened the Porter House, an antique shop and historic home in downtown Windsor. She was active in Chapter U PEO, Questors, American Society of Germans from Russia, and the Windsor-Severance Historical Society. She was proud to be part of the effort in the 1970's to save and move the train depot to Boardwalk Park for use as a museum. Barbara was always proud of her Oklahoma roots and values. She loved being a mother and grandmother, and she and Jack attended every game, family event and school function that they could. Each grandchild always had a special birthday cake designed especially for them. Barbara and Jack were Colorado Rockies fans from the inaugural season, making sure that grandchildren shared games with them each summer.
Barbara and Jack loved traveling, including trips to France, Russia, and Cuba. Their favorite spot was Hawaii and for over 25 years, they spent part of each winter on their beloved Maui. They loved sharing this experience with their children and grandchildren, hosting many happy family vacations. Barbara was never happier than on the beach in Maui with Jack. She passed on her love of art, flowers, jewelry, new recipes, a good garage sale, and days on the beach to her family and will be missed more than we can express. Even though Alzheimer's challenged her, her sparkle and loving spirit blessed us to the end.

Survivors include her husband, Jack, daughter Jacqueline (Lelyn) Larson of Gill, Colorado, son Jeffrey (Elizabeth) Hale of Fort Collins, Colorado, grandchildren John (Michelle) Larson of Gill, CO, Jennifer (Casey) McDaniel of Burlington, CO, Elisabeth (Cody) Peterson of Gill, CO, Grant (Daisy) Hale of Fort Collins, CO, and Drew Hale of Fort Collins, CO. She is survived by great-grandchildren Luke Larson, Jack Larson, Brandon McDaniel, Hailey McDaniel, Owen McDaniel, and Madelynn Peterson. She is also survived by Beth Southern, sister-in-law, of West Chester, Pennsylvania. Numerous cousins surviving include Donna Holzrichter of Hooker, Oklahoma, Sandra Hofferber, Peggy Dixon of Tacoma, Washington, and Juanita Grant of Hooker, Oklahoma. Also surviving are nephews Randy Southern of West Chester, Pennsylvania, Stan Southern of West Sewickley, Pennsylvania, Rick Littlefield of Plains, Kansas, Randy Littlefield of Wichita, Kansas, and Terry Hale of Edmund, Oklahoma.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her daughter, Jennifer Hale, and her brother, Arlen Southern.

Barbara's family thanks her wonderful caregivers, Lucy, JoAnne, Carolyn, and Maria whose loving care enabled her to remain at home in the place she loved best. The family also wishes to thank the wonderful staff at Halcyon Hospice and Palliative Care. In appreciation, memorial gifts may be given in Barbara's memory to Halcyon Hospice and Palliative Care or Alzheimer's Association of Northern Colorado in care of Bohlender Funeral Chapel in Fort Collins, CO. True to their wishes, Barbara and Jack will someday be together always, with services scheduled at that time.