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Obituary (CO): Mrs. Ruth (Frederick W. Hale '56)

Posted on 03/20/2019

Ruth June Hale, age 85, passed away on February 26, 2019. She was born June 16, 1933, in Glenside, Pennsylvania to Paul and Gertrude Rhoads, the third of three children. The family moved to Arvada, Colorado, in 1939. Ruth attended Arvada public schools, from which she graduated in 1951. Musically inclined since early childhood, she studied Clarinet and piano from the time she was six years old. Ruth enrolled in the College of Music, University of Colorado, in Boulder, Colorado in 1951 where she majored in clarinet performance and minored in piano, organ and voice. She was awarded the Bachelor of Music degree in 1955. Ruth returned to CU many years later to earn her Master of Music degree in Clarinet performance. Ruth met and dated her future husband, Fred, in 1948 while in high school. They remained a couple until they married in June 1956 after Fred graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy. Thus, began a 63-year marriage and, for Ruth, 22 years as a Navy Wife. Being a Navy Wife means many days and sometimes months separated from her husband while he was at sea or at a foreign station. Ruth raised five children during those years. She was a truly great wife and mother while living in California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Italy, Colorado and Germany while her husband was on active duty. Ruth pursued her music career throughout her marriage, playing chamber music at every opportunity. While in Germany for three years she joined with German musicians on most weekends to play chamber music in one castle or another. When she returned to Boulder, Colorado in 1978 she made it her purpose in life to keep chamber music alive in northern Colorado. She and her husband moved to the Loveland, Colorado area in 1985 and Ruth founded the non-profit FRIENDS of CHAMBER MUSIC, LOVELAND, through which she organized northern Colorado musicians to play chamber music in private homes and churches. In 2018 she celebrated 30 years as music director of that organization. During that time, she also performed for several years as clarinetist with the Brico Symphony in Denver, the then Loveland Chamber Orchestra and the Greeley Chamber Orchestra, with which group she also played harpsichord. Her husband, Fred, had built two harpsichords for her which she also played in private home concerts. From 1985 on Ruth taught piano to many local children and some adults. She was a member of Piano Guild USA, Loveland Area Music Teachers Association, Music Teachers National Association, and the International Clarinet Association. Ruth enjoyed music history and went on many educational tours in Europe to study composers who played and composed in Russia, Poland, France and Austria. Her favorite composer was Brahms, but there were many other classical composers such as Chopin, Mozart and Schumann whom she greatly admired. Ruth is survived by her husband Frederick W. Hale of Loveland, Colorado, three daughters: Catherine Claxton and husband John of Parker, Colorado; Anne Elizabeth Hale of Westminster, Colorado; Carolyn Hale and husband Marc Moore of Broomfield, Colorado; two sons: Andrew Hale and wife Michelle of Kreutzlingen, Switzerland and Peter Hale and wife Piia of Queens, New York. She is also survived by six grandchildren: Jonathan Hale, Timothy Hale and Lionel Hale of Konstanz, Germany; Ryan Claxton and Ellie Claxton of Parker, Colorado and Kyia Kupfner of Westminster, Colorado. She is predeceased by her parents Paul and Gertrude Rhoads of Arvada, Colorado; her sister Carolyn Rugg of Littleton, Colorado; and her brother Richard Rhoads of Arvada, Colorado. A celebration of Ruth's life will be held in late May 2019 when all family members can attend. Location will be at 1000 King Drive, Loveland, Colorado. In lieu of flowers, feel free to make a donation to: www.bestfriends.org in the memory of Ruth June Hale. This was her favorite charity.

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