James Wesley Hale

Lt. James W. “Boe” Hale, Arkansas State Police (Ret.), of Hot Springs, Arkansas, died April 2, 2026.

He was born January 28, 1937, in Sheridan, Arkansas, the son of Wesley and Myrtice Hale.

He was preceded in death by his son, James Bradley Hale; his parents, Wesley and Myrtice Hale; and his wife, Rita Rowell Hale, and his brothers, Dan (Clover) Hale and Bill (Mary) Hale, all of Sheridan.

He was a member of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Hot Springs. James graduated from Sheridan High School in 1955. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant from the Arkansas Military Academy in 1964. He graduated from the University of Little Rock with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice and from the National FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. He also received many in-service training certificates from the Arkansas State Police.

His career in law enforcement began with the Little Rock Police Department in 1959. He joined the Arkansas State Police in 1967 and retired in 2002. During his time with the State Police, he served with the Highway Patrol in Warren and Sheridan, the Criminal Investigation Division in Pine Bluff as a sergeant, and later in Hot Springs as a lieutenant in the Highway Patrol.

He is survived by his son, Bruce Hale, and daughter-in-law, Debbie, and grandson, Cody Hale, all of Pine Bluff; his daughter, Diane Hill, and son-in-law, Richard Hill, of Mississippi; his grandson, Bradley Hill, and his wife, Nicole, and their two children; and his granddaughter, Taylor (Dylan) Arnt, of Michigan. He is also survived by his sisters, Beckey Smith and Brenda Adams.

Visitation will be held at Gross Funeral Home, 120 Wrights Street, Hot Springs, Arkansas, on April 9, 2026, beginning at 4:00 p.m. The Arkansas State Police Honor Guard will be present.

A graveside service and burial will be held at Lost Creek Cemetery in Sheridan, Arkansas, on April 10, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. The Arkansas State Police Honor Guard will be present.