ANNETTE SMITH HALES
Annette Hales was born on an Easter Sunday April 13, 1941 to Harvey Merl and Ruby Emma Williams Smith in Tooele, Utah at her family home. She didn’t see much of her father during the first six months of her life because of the war and he was busy working at the smelter. She was the second child born to her parents. She had an older brother Harvey Kay Smith who was born on December 1, 1938 and a younger brother Jimmy Smith born on May10, 1946. She was a very energetic little girl with a wonderful smile and curly hair. Annette was always a great student and began her musical background at the age of 6 taking piano lessons from Roxie Lee. Early in elementary school she took up playing the clarinet which lead her into the Tooele High School Band. She also was a part of the sixth-grade boys and girls who twirled thru folk dances on the playground at the Central Elementary School. She eventually switched over to playing the saxophone her final two years of High School. She was a part of the band who traveled to Pasadena California to be a part of the Rose Parade. Her senior year she was a majorette for the Tooele High School Marching Band. She was always involved in some type of activity whether at school or church.
She is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She sang in a girl’s quartet and contributed to the success of many high school functions in programs by performing many vocal arrangements. She loved to dance and was always one according to the male students, as a wonderful dancer, who they always wanted to dance with.She had a main role in the stage play OKLAHOMA put on by the drama department at the high school. At the annual band banquet her senior year, she was presented with the Arion award and a $100.00 scholarship. She also received a $70.00 scholarship from Brigham Young University at her high school graduation.Her parents took many family vacations to various parts of the United States traveling in a car without air conditioning and all three of the children in the back seat. One of the special trips was back to New York in the summer of 1954. We had been invited to visit the Spitz family- Donald and his mother. Donald had gotten married and was traveling from New York to Las Vegas when he fell asleep while driving and rolled the car on the way from Wendover to Salt Lake which killed his wife. He was taken to the hospital in Tooele and when leaving the hospital
stayed with us at our home. We traveled across the United States following the Texaco Maps to get to Rochester,New York to Donald’s uncles home. He was a big wig in Eastman Kodak and had a mansion with many servants.We were each given our own room and even when we were to leave Annette was invited to stay with them a little longer. We traveled to New York City and seen all the normal sites there-Statue Of Liberty going up not only into the observation deck in the Crown but even up into the Torch., Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, Stage play at the Radio City Music Center and Coney Island. She along with her brothers’ rode the big Ferris wheel and the parachute drop. Our parents then took us to Brooklyn, to watch a Brooklyn Dodger game at Ebbets Field against the New York Giants. It was our first time to ride the subway. After spending time in New York, we traveled to Washington DC to see the Capitol Building, Washington Monument (riding the elevator up and walking down the stairway down noting all the various tributes to the various states etched in the wall) and then to the Lincoln Memorial. It was very hot and humid and the motels we stayed at were not equipped with air conditioning.Family traditions were a big part of our family as she grew up. Every Thanksgiving and Christmas was spent in
Grantsville, Utah with our grandfather and grandmother Williams. All of her mother’s family members, would be there, along with their children. So, it was a great time to spend and grow up with all her cousins. As far as our own Christmas celebration, we as the children would go to our parent’s bedroom to get mom and dad up to go into the family living room to see what gifts we got from Santa. If dad was in a good mood, then he would lead us from their bedroom into the living room and turn on the lights on the tree. If he wasn’t, then we had to have breakfast before going in to have “tree”. It was immediately after having our “tree” that we left to go to Grantsville to celebrate Christmas with the larger extended family.
Annette upon her graduation from Tooele High School, was given a scholarship to attended Brigham Young University. It was there as she was a part of the Brigham Young University band, that she met her husband to be,Blaine Ferron Hales who played trumpet in the Band. It was on August 14, 1960 that they decided to get married in Las Vegas Nevada. Blaine played professional trumpet with many big bands and other individual groups. They moved to Los Angeles, California in 1961 to work with a company there which her brother Kay who also resided in Los Angeles at the time had found for him. It was at this time that Annette and Blaine had their first child Shari who was born in Los Angeles on Mar 17, 1962. They remained there until the playing the trumpet called them to Sparks Nevada to play in a group. Annette worked at an Ice house to help provide steady income to help support the family as the gigs weren’t always there because Blaine had to wait to be notified by the Musician’s Union of the gigs he
was given. It was in 1968, that they moved back to Utah and Blaine began working for a gas company in Salt Lake.They took up residency in Murray Utah and on January 11, 1970, their son Jeffrey Blaine Hales was born in Tooele, Utah. Annette and her husband both worked to provide for their family, Annette working for a local bank.. They had many friends they made and Blaine continued to take gigs when given and they raised their small family. Annette and Blaine played golf very often with other couples. On March 18th, 1976, Blaine received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Utah. They continued on living and working there until Blaine took early retirement from the gas company for which he had worked for many years. It wasn’t long, before Blaine was contacted by his former boss at the company he retired from, who offered him a job at Coca Cola in Atlanta, Georgia. So, Annette
and Blaine and their children pulled up roots in Utah in 1983 and began their new lives in Atlanta, Georgia. It wasn’t long before they settled in at Murrieta Georgia and enjoyed the Southern way of life. Life was going along great with Blaine retiring from Coca Cola. Still playing his trumpet when ever the occasion arose. However, on December3, 2001 he passed away leaving Annette and her daughter and son. Her daughter Shari was married to her husband Darrell Clackum on June 23,1990 and they were blessed with a daughter Carrie on July 26, 1993. Jeff her son lived with her for a number of years and passed away on December 15,2013. Annette worked at Cross Creek Realty and then Warren Averett with her daughter Shari until 2015 when her health problems arose. She sold her home in Marietta and moved to her daughter and son-in laws residence. She has resided there until she passed away on
December 3, 2017, sixteen years after her beloved husband Blaine passed away.Annette is survived by her daughter Shari and her husband Darry Clackum -Acworth, Georgia, her granddaughter
Cari and her husband Tanner Merino Virginia Beach, VA., her brother James Jay Smith and his wife Lucy Ann Smith -Glendora, California, her sister-in-law Shauna Barrus Smith -Layton, Utah. All who knew Annette, loved her very much especially, her family members. She loved people she worked with and was saddened to not be able to work with them. She loved the Atlanta Braves along with Atlanta Hawks and Falcons. She watched every possible Atlanta Braves game and made a convert of her mother Ruby. She was truly blessed with the gift of music in her life which she inherited from her Mother. She enjoyed life up until her health took its toll. She will be missed by all who knew her but the memories they had with her will live on in their lives forever. There is a great reunion going on the other side of the veil with family and friends who have passed over before her. She is now in the arms of a loving Father in Heaven and her elder brother Jesus Christ Savior of all mankind. She is now at peace and rest from this
mortal life.
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