Christine B Hale

HALE, Christine Burnette,  age 96, passed away peacefully in her home on June 13, 2012. She is predeceased by her parents; Samuel Y. Burnette and Beulah Bowman Burnette, her husband, Henry Edwin Hale; brother, Arthur G. Burnette,; sisters, Alma G. Burnette, Elizabeth Burnette, Sammie Lavin, and devoted son-in-law, William “Sonny” Meadows. Mrs. Hale served the citizens and children of Nashville and Davidson County as a teacher, and her professional life spanned 31 years, beginning in the Davidson County schools, The City of Nashville, and finally the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools. She took leave and retired from the MNPS in 1972 so that she could care for her husband, Henry Hale, through the end stages of terminal brain cancer. She faithfully cared for him in their home, up until the final week of his life, constantly by his side in the hospital until his death on December 13, 1972. In her “retirement”, she became “Nanny Hale”, caring for her grandchildren in their early years before school. She lived to see the birth of her first great-grandson this year. Mrs. Hale was a life-long learner as well as an educator. She loved learning, reading and history – especially of Great Britain,  the American Revolution, Middle Tennessee, and Nashville-Davidson County. Her interests included avid work in the genealogy of her Burnette family. She loved being in the only home she and her husband ever owned for 62 years, living independently and on her own up until the day of her death, as was her wish. Christine Hale was devoted to her children and grandchildren, always caring for their well-being, much more than her own. She is survived by three children, Susan H. Meadows (Nashville), Kenneth S.  (Lorinda ) Hale, Ronald E. (Norma) Hale; grandchildren, Amy Meadows (Dean) Martella, William H. (Jennifer) Meadows, Elizabeth Anne Hale, Emily Marie Hale, Sarah Weiss, Marsha Farley, Audrey E. Hale and Henry Scott Hale; great-grandson Dean Martella; sisters, Emily (Jack) Walker; Gladys Charlton; brother, Douglas Burnette; several nieces and nephews. Funeral service to be conducted 1:00 p.m. Saturday June 16, 2012 in Woodlawn’s Dignity Hall with Pastor Jim Thomas officiating, entombment to follow in Woodlawn’s Cross Mausoleum. Visitation with the family will be Friday from 4-8 p.m. and 2 hours prior to the service on Saturday.