Hal Gage

Harold Dean (Hal) Gage was born on November 5, 1941 in St Louis, Missouri to parents Grover and Beatrice Gage. Hal passed from this world on April 8, 2023 in Claremore, Oklahoma. He was 81 years, 4 months, and 23 days old.Hal was six years old when he moved with his parents to Tahlequah. They purchased property in town that included a house and the Tahlequah Cabins. His mother took care of the tenants and Hal helped her. That was where he first learned how to work rental property. As he got older, he took on more and more of the maintenance work and other responsibilities. In later years, Hal would tear down the cabins and build the Royal Oaks apartment complex, which he owned up until his passing.

Hal attended Tahlequah schools for his entire primary education. He played football from the sixth grade until he graduated, and earned all-conference honors in high school. After graduating in 1960, he joined the United States Army and served in Kansas, Missouri, Connecticut and Germany.

Upon receiving an honorable discharge, he returned to Oklahoma and attended the Oklahoma Military Academy in Claremore. He went to school on a football scholarship and earned all-conference honors. During that time, he met Norma Hendrickson and they were married in 1964. They later divorced in 1981. After attending the Oklahoma Military Academy, Hal continued his education at the University of Tulsa where he was also on the football team. He graduated from TU in 1966 with a degree in business and economics.

Hal and Norma had two sons, Michael and Jeffery. Hal worked for IBM and Xerox for a total of 27 years, rising to the level of vice-president. He lived several places during that time, including Tulsa, Kansas City, Cincinnati, New York City, Rochester, Atlanta, and Dallas. He returned to Tahlequah in 1991 after his mother was involved in a serious car accident. He helped her with the property in Tahlequah and became a real estate broker. During that time, he also acquired the North Brook apartment complex.

In 1993 he met Jenny Ashmore Hathaway on a blind date. They were married in 1996, combining the family of his two children and Jenny’s four. Their years together were busy. They both owned rental property, and together purchased and remodeled five office buildings in downtown Tahlequah. Later Hal quit as a real estate broker and Jenny retired from Northeastern State and they managed their rental properties full time.

Hal joined the Masons in 1964 and was a lifetime member of the Tahlequah lodge Cherokee 10. He was also very involved with the Tahlequah Elk’s Lodge, holding all five offices including serving as the Exalted Ruler in 1996. Hal was active in Muskogee Bedouin Shrine and the Rolling Bedouins RV club. He and Jenny enjoyed their monthly campouts to the neighboring states and the wonderful friends they made along the way.

Hal was an avid outdoorsman and loved fishing Ft Gibson and Tenkiller lakes. He enjoyed deer hunting and dove hunting, and looked forward to the Colorado elk hunt he went to several years in a row. He always dreamed of bagging a big elk, but returned each time empty-handed. He loved the trip nonetheless.

Through the years, Hal and Jenny’s combined families shared high school and college graduations, weddings, and the birth of several grandchildren - a total of seventeen to be exact plus one bonus grandchild. He called each one of them “Buddy.” He said he did that so he could always remember their name.

Hal loved each of the six children and eighteen grandchildren equally. To Hal, there was no step-daughter, step-son, or step-grandchild. There were only sons, daughters, and grandchildren.

Hal was preceded in death by his parents, brother JC Gage, and three half-brothers: Myron, Irvin, and Thurman (Sonny). Hal is survived by his wife Jenny Gage, son Mike Gage and wife Angela, son Jeff Gage and wife Amy, daughter Leigh Roy and son-in-law Jess Roy, daughter Aimee Hansen and husband John, daughter Marisa Kinney, son Zak Hathaway and wife Sara, and bonus-daughter Leah Price. Grandchildren Ashlyn and Allyson Gage, Kyle, Brooke, and Trent Gage, Isabella, Jesse, Juliet, and Zane Roy, Mady, Katie, and Sarah Hansen, Neal, Jay, and Ava Kinney, Finn and Knox Hathaway, and Jordan Price. Mother-in-law Nellie Ashmore. Nieces and Nephews, and many dear friends.

Jenny often said that Hal lived in “Hal Land” where he was the king, ruler, emperor, and president. To all of us who got to visit Hal Land, it was a great place to be with a wonderful guy in charge.

A Celebration of the Life of Hal Gage will be held on Friday, April 14th, 2023 at 10:00 Am at Reed-Culver Chapel. he will be laid to rest at Tahlequah City Cemetery. Online condolences for his family may be left at www.reedculver.com.