Obituary of Lucy Marie Hale

Lucy Marie Hale, 80, a lifelong resident of Hixson, died Friday, April 3, 2009 in Nashville. She was a teacher in the Hamilton County Schools for 44 years. She taught at Lupton City, Rivermont, and DuPont Schools. She was a graduate of Hixson High School and a member of North Hamilton Church of Christ. Her undergraduate and graduate degrees were from Middle Tennessee State University. Post graduate work was at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and UTC. Miss Hale was reared by her late father, William Marion Hale, and late step-mother Flora Long Hale. Her mother was the late Una Alma Hixson Hale. Her grandparents were the late John F. Hixson and the late Maggie Jackson Hixson and the late Clinton and Julia Hale of Atlanta; She is survived by close cousins Ron Long of Pensacola; Alma Hixon of Hixson; Velma Hixson Masiers of Signal Mountain, Dorothy Hixson Brown of Lake Havasu City, Arizona, Douglas Hixson of Hixson, and the families of her late cousin Bill Hale, Cleveland Tennessee, Peggy Walker Cross, and Flora Sue Walker Boyd of Chattanooga, and extended family Ramona and Wayne Vandergriff and family of Hixson and Tonia Brown, Valley Head, Alabama. As an artist, Miss Hale exhibited in early local art shows and the Hunter Museum of Art in Chattanooga. She tutored students in art and creative writing. As a writer, she wrote numerous curriculum studies. Her Professional writing included 'Teaching with the Newspaper in the Classroom' for The ChattanoogaTimes and articles published nationally in the Association for Childhood Education Journal. As a journalist she edited 'The Sidelines', the Middle Tennessee University Student newspaper and served briefly as a copy rewriter for the Rutherford County Courier in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. As a historian and member, she researched and compiled histories for the Chattanooga Doll Club and the Zeta Chapter of Tennessee Alpha Delta Kappa for outstanding women in educators. Miss Hale received a George Washington Teacher Medal of Honor from the Freedoms Foundation of Valley Forge for her promotion of activities and programs to foster in students a sense of patriotism and appreciation for their freedom heritage. She received an award from the Tennessee Parent Teacher Association for her outstanding work in her school. Miss Hale was a founding member and past president of the Chattanooga Chapter of the International Reading Association, was actively involved in local, state and international professional educational organizations. In later years in Miss Hale's career, she became a school librarian. Her goal was to keep alive in children a love for reading, literature, and learning. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Alpha Delta Kappa, Zeta Chapter Scholarship Fund for Aspiring Teachers. Send to Pam Rector, Scholarship Chairman, Zeta Chapter ADK in honor of Miss Hale at 1602 Crabtree Road, Hixson, Tennessee 37343. Graveside services and interment will be held at 2:00 PM Tuesday, April 7, 2009 at Chattanooga Memorial Park with Minister David Smith officiating. The family will receive friends from 2:00-4:00 PM and 6:00-9:00 PM on Monday, April 6 at the funeral home. Arrangements are by locally owned and operated Legacy Funeral Home and Cremation Center, 8911 Dallas Hollow Road, Soddy-Daisy, TN. We invite you to share your thoughts and memories with the family at www.legacyfuneralhome.com. 24 hour obituary line 843-5055.