Van Carter Hale

Van Carter Hale, age 88 of Purmela, passed away on Saturday, September 18, 2021 at his Texas home.

Memorial services will be held in the spring of 2022 at St. Peters Episcopal Church in Cheshire, Connecticut, with inurnment following at the church cemetery.

Van Carter Hale was born in a log cabin on August 24, 1933 in Grassy Creek, Kentucky to the late, Archie and Emma Carter Hale. He grew up in Kentucky, California, Texas, and Ohio. In 1952 he joined the army. While stationed at Ft. Hood, Texas, he married his high school sweetheart, Joan Pollard of Galena Park, Texas. They had two sons, Carter Joe and Paul David. In 1956, he earned a Bachelor of Music degree from North Texas State University. Over the next dozen years, he developed music programs across Texas in Joinerville, Orange, Galena Park, Perryton, and Big Spring. He also earned a Master’s degree in Sociology and Education from Stephen F. Austin State University, and began work on a doctorate in musicology at the University of Texas in Austin, all while serving as Music Director for a number of churches in the greater Houston area. In 1969 he accepted the position of high school choir and band master at Wilbur Cross High School in New Haven, Connecticut. In 1971, he moved to Guilford, Connecticut where he remained 13 years until his retirement from teaching. In Guilford, he served as Supervisor of Music for the high school, two middle schools, and five elementary schools.

In 1974, he married June Hinds of Port Arthur, Texas. They were married 48 years and taught music in churches in Madison, Old Saybrook and Cheshire, Connecticut. Van also directed a civic chorus, the Shoreline Chorale of Branford, and traveled on tours of Greece, France and Germany, with the Cappella Cantorum of Deep River, Connecticut. Following his teaching career, Van became a fine arts appraiser and dealer in Connecticut, and wrote an extensive computer program cataloging over 11,000 American and Canadian artists. After retirement, the Hales have split their time between Benson, Vermont and Purmela, Texas. He was a member of the Presbyterian Church of Gatesville and St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Fair Haven, Vermont.

He was preceded in death by his grandsons, Paul David Hale, Jr. and Nicholas Samuel Hale.

Van is survived by his wife of 48 years, Marguerite June Hale; sons, Carter Joe Hale and wife, Susan Zlotnick-Hale, Paul David Hale; Donna Trippconey Hale; grandsons, Jason Carter Hale, David Van Hale; and five great grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, the family has designated that memorials be made to St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 149 N. Main St, Fair Haven, VT 05743.