Walter Edward Hale, Jr.

Walter Edward Hale Jr., "Buddy," age 57, of Kalamazoo, died on the morning of Tuesday, April 25th, 2017. He was born on November 6th, 1959. He and his wife, Susan June Hale, were married for over 28 years. Buddy was a devoted family man with a big, wide-reaching family and a heart to match. When you needed help, he was there, colorful vocabulary in tow. He was a generous man: if he had it to give, it was yours. A good husband, brother, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, and friend, he was both good natured and cranky, a junk food junkie who loved to dance. He played Uno with his grandchildren, though they had to play his way, which involved getting up in the middle of the game to dance around the kitchen in a line! He served in the United States Army, enlisting at the age of eighteen. He enjoyed bowling, baseball, football, and working bingo at the Comstock VFW, where, when a train whistle was heard, friends would tell him "Buddy, get out there and catch your train!" He finally caught his last train. He is survived by thirteen brothers and sisters: Julie, Diane, Matthew, Herbert, Evan, Kim, Paula, Carl, Barbara, Cora, Walter, Marilyn, and Leroy. He had four children: Trudy, Kimberly, Gerard Jr., and Ronald Sr. He was a proud grandfather and great-grandfather to Natasha, Cassandra, Jerry Lee, Nicole, Coryn, Kyler, Keith, Larry, Hunter, Ariana, Annabelle, Natelie, Nick, Jaden, Bernie, Martika, Christopher, Ronald Jr., Kaydance, Kassidy, Kerryann, Velma-Sue, A.J., Lincoln, Aaliyah, Rayne, and Izayah. And he was a blessing to many nephews and nieces. He follows his parents, Walter Hale Sr. and Dorothy Mohler, and siblings Althea, Michael, and Teddy. A funeral will be held at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 247 W. Lovell St., Kalamazoo, on Monday, May 1st, at 11am. A luncheon will follow.