Remembering Mary Lou Hales

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By Carolyn Kendall, Wheeling, Illinois, USA

It is with joy that we bid farewell to a lovely and gracious woman who has been a faithful server in the Urantia community for almost 80 years. Mary Lou Hales "graduated" to the mansion worlds on Saturday morning, August 4, 2012, at the age of 103. She suffered a heart attack in an ambulance on the way to the hospital from her home in Winnetka, Illinois. Her last illness began just three weeks ago after years of moderately good health considering her advanced age.

Her Urantia experience began in 1932 in the Forum Room at 533 W Diversey Parkway when she attended her first meeting with her then fiancé, William M. Hales, a second generation reader of the Urantia Papers. When Urantia Brotherhood was organized in 1955, Mary Lou was appointed to the 36 member General Council of Urantia Brotherhood and served for 30 years. She was a member of the Charter Committee for 32 years and its chairman for 13 years. During her tenure she travelled to many distant locations to install Urantia Societies. She and her husband were founding members of First Urantia Society in Chicago. Both were generous contributors to Urantia organizations financially.

Mary Lou's husband Bill served as the first president of Urantia Foundation for 23 years and served as a member of the Board of Trustees for a total of 33 years. He was also a member of the General Council for 33 years.

Mary Lou has been recognized as a true lady, a warm and gracious personality, but one who did not fear to express her views on timely issues in the Urantia organizations. Although her memory was failing toward the end of her life, our memory of her lifelong spirit of volunteerism inspires us to even greater service to our fellows.

Mary Lou Hales, Emma Christensen (Christy), and William S. Sadler, Jr.