Robert D. Hales facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Robert D. Hales |
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|---|---|
| Quorum of the Twelve Apostles | |
| April 2, 1994 – October 1, 2017 | |
| LDS Church Apostle | |
| April 7, 1994 – October 1, 2017 | |
| Reason | Death of Marvin J. Ashton |
| Reorganization at end of term |
Gerrit W. Gong and Ulisses Soares were ordained following deaths of Hales and Thomas S. Monson |
| Presiding Bishop | |
| April 6, 1985 – April 2, 1994 | |
| End reason | Called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles |
| First Quorum of the Seventy | |
| October 1, 1976 – April 6, 1985 | |
| End reason | Called as Presiding Bishop |
| Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles | |
| April 4, 1975 – October 1, 1976 | |
| End reason | Position abolished |
| Military career | |
| 1954-1958 | |
| Service/branch | United States Air Force |
| Rank |  Captain |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robert Dean Hales August 24, 1932 New York City, United States |
| Died | October 1, 2017 (aged 85) Salt Lake City, Utah, United States |
| Resting place | Bountiful City Cemetery |
| Alma mater | |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Crandall (d. 2023) |
| Children | 2 |
| Signature | |
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Robert Dean Hales (born August 24, 1932 – died October 1, 2017) was an American businessman. He was a leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). From 1994 until his death, he was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Members of this Quorum are seen by the church as prophets, seers, and revelators. When he passed away, he was the fifth longest-serving apostle in the church.
Contents
Robert D. Hales's Early Life
Robert Hales was born in New York City. He grew up in both Queens and Great Neck, New York. He was the youngest of three children. His father, John Rulon Hales, was an artist who worked in advertising. His mother was Vera Marie Holbrook.
The Hales family was very active in the LDS Church. They attended the Queens Ward, which met in a rented space. Young Robert would often help clean the building after events held there the night before.
Education and Military Service
Robert Hales loved playing baseball. He played for Great Neck High School and later for the University of Utah. He even played in some semi-professional leagues. However, he hurt his arm while pitching in Arizona. Before this injury, many thought he had a good chance to play in the major leagues.
After his baseball career ended, Hales joined the Air Force ROTC at the University of Utah. While studying there, he also worked for KSL-TV and KDYL. After earning his bachelor's degree, he served as a fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force for four years. Later, in 1960, he earned an MBA degree from Harvard Business School.
Family Life
Robert Hales met Mary Crandall in New York during the summer before his second year of college. They were married in the Salt Lake Temple on June 10, 1953. That summer, Hales was working at the United Nations building. Mary, who was a student at Brigham Young University, had moved from California to New York shortly before they met. Robert and Mary had two sons.
Business Career
Robert Hales had a successful career in business. He held leadership roles at four major national companies. His first job after Harvard Business School was with the Gillette Company. He wanted to understand the business fully, so he asked to work on the factory floor and even stock razors in stores. This wide experience helped him quickly move into senior management.
He became president of Papermate, a division of Gillette. Later, he joined Max Factor as a vice president. In 1973, Hales was named executive vice president for marketing at the Hughes Television Network. Before he was called to be a general authority in the church, he was president of Chesebrough-Pond's. He was known for being able to understand financial information and also predict market trends by talking with people. His presentations for new products were so clear, they were sometimes described as "painting ideas."
In 1987, Hales was appointed to the Utah State Board of Regents. He was also close with the musical family, The 5 Browns, and performed the marriages for their two oldest children. In 2010, Deseret Book published a book he wrote called Return.
Service in the LDS Church
While Robert Hales was a student at Harvard Business School, he served as an elders quorum president in the church. He also taught seminary classes when he lived in Downey, California. Hales served three times as a bishop in different cities: Weston, Massachusetts; Chicago, Illinois; and Frankfurt, Germany.
He also served as a branch president in Weston and in Albany, Georgia. While he was a student at Harvard, he was a branch president in Weston, where Henry B. Eyring was one of his counselors. Hales also served in branch presidencies in Seville, Spain and Germany. He was a member of the stake high council in London, England, and Massachusetts. He became a counselor in the presidency of the Boston Massachusetts Stake when it was first formed in 1960. Later, he served as a regional representative in Louisiana and Minnesota.
Becoming a General Authority
In 1975, Robert Hales was called as a general authority of the church. He became an Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. In 1976, this role was changed, and he became a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy. He was the last living person who had served as an Assistant to the Twelve.
During his first ten years as a general authority, Hales worked on the church's finances and buildings. He helped reduce the number of the church's welfare farms and sell off its shares in the Utah and Idaho Sugar Company.
In the late 1970s, Hales also served as the president of the church's England London Mission. After this service, he became the church's Area Supervisor in Europe. In this role, he worked with Thomas S. Monson to oversee the church in East Germany and helped plan for a temple to be built there. He also served for a time as a counselor in the Sunday School General Presidency.
Hales served in the First Quorum of the Seventy until 1985. Then, he became the church's eleventh presiding bishop. He served in this position until 1994. During this time, he stressed the importance of the church's welfare program, which helps people in need.
Service as an Apostle
Robert Hales was called to be a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on April 2, 1994. He was ordained an apostle on April 7, 1994. He filled the spot left by the death of Marvin J. Ashton. In 2002, Hales led the church's Olympic Coordinating Council. Since he was from New York City, he often helped the church with matters in that city. He was involved in the early plans for building the Manhattan New York Temple.
Health Challenges and Passing
Over the years, Robert Hales faced several health issues that affected his church service. For example, he missed the church's April 2011 General Conference. In September 2017, he was hospitalized again. Church leaders announced that he would not be able to attend the upcoming General Conference.
Robert Hales passed away on October 1, 2017, shortly after the Sunday morning session of the General Conference ended. His passing was announced by Henry B. Eyring at the start of the afternoon session. His funeral was held in the Salt Lake Tabernacle in Salt Lake City on October 6, 2017. A private burial followed at the Bountiful City Cemetery in Bountiful, Utah.
See also
- Henry B. Eyring
- Glenn L. Pace
