Reuben Hale, 90, critically acclaimed world-class sculptor and artist, died on Friday, March 23, 2018, at his home in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Reuben Aldridge Hale, Jr., the son of Reuben Aldridge Hale, Sr. and Sallie Irma Harris Hale, both of Oxford, Mississippi, was born on June 29, 1927, in Belzoni, Mississippi. They moved to Greenwood, Mississippi, where Reuben grew up. He was a Boy Scout and later led several Boy Scout troops and Sea Scout ships, and he graduated from Greenwood High School. He joined the U.S Navy and served in World War II in the Pacific Theatre, receiving Asiatic-Pacific, Victory Ribbon, and American Area honors. After the war, he attended Ole Miss on the GI Bill and then the Art Institute of Chicago, where he completed his B.F.A. with honors and met his future wife, dancer Marie Stoner, also from Greenwood.

Reuben and Marie opened and successfully ran the School of Ballet and Art in Greenwood for 6 years. He continued his art studies under artists like Paul Burlin, Al Newbill and Rubin Nakian, and received his M.F.A. with honors from Southern Illinois University. In 1961, they moved to Lake Worth, Florida, where Reuben taught art at Palm Beach State College (then Palm Beach Junior College). He later became Chairman of Fine Arts directing such programs as visual arts, music, theater, literature, speech, foreign language and English. He redesigned and transformed the old college auditorium into two beautiful theatres known as the Duncan Theatre, and acquired the Lannan Art Museum for the college. He was executive director of both until he retired from the college. He also started an international workshop series, bringing top named artists to the campus. The workshops were attended not only by students and members of the community, but attracted people from around the world, and were eventually adopted into the work of the Palm Beach Photographic Center.

He asked for "people who were active and vital in the art world" to teach at the college, and Reuben also never stopped painting and sculpting. He exhibited his art in Chicago, Memphis, Atlanta, Dallas, New Orleans, and Frankfurt, Germany to name a few locations. And this premise that begins his Artist Statement is evident in so much of his work: "I believe the changing status of the female in society now and in the future will be one of the most significant changes of our time," he wrote.

Reuben was predeceased by his parents, and one sister, Emma Elizabeth Hale Hill. He is survived by daughter, Irma Marie Hale, daughter, Beverly Ann Barber Barton (Bill), and son, Peter Reuben Campbell; two grandsons, Sam Adam Mitchell and Elliot Sinclair Barton, as well as two nephews, Robert Welsh Hill (Lynn) and Richard Terry Hill (Diane), two grand-nephews, one grand-niece and two great-grand nephews.

He will be buried in Odd Fellows Cemetery in Greenwood, Mississippi. There will be a graveside service at 11:00 AM on Saturday, March 31, 2018. There will also be a memorial service in West Palm Beach, Florida, around the end of April, location, date and time to be announced. Donations may be made to The Reuben Hale Endowed Scholarship* fund at Palm Beach State College or to the charity of your choice.

Reuben's artwork can be viewed online at www.reubenhale.com

*Checks should be made payable to Palm Beach State College Foundation and mailed to 4200 Congress Ave., MS #20, Lake Worth, FL 33461. Please reference the Reuben Hale Scholarship on the check. Donors can also give electronically at www.palmbeachstate.edu/foundation/make-a- gift.aspx - Choose "other" for where to direct the donation and type in Reuben Hale Scholarship.