Mima Hale, a 76 year old Guymon native, passed away on June 23, 2020, while living at Brookdale Assisted Living Center in Weatherford, OK.

Mima Lou Sproles was born to J. K. and Mary Lou Sproles on October 3, 1943, in Liberal, KS. Mima attended Guymon Public Schools, proving to be an avid learner while involved in multiple musical activities including choir and orchestra. In 1961, Mima graduated from Boulder High School in Boulder, CO. After spending several years in Kansas City, MO and Springdale, AR, she returned to her hometown and began attending Oklahoma Panhandle State University (OPSU). It was there that she met Rex Hale through friends and family. On December 27, 1970, Mima married Rex Hale and they started their life together in Goodwell, OK; each having two children from a prior marriage. They are active members of the First Presbyterian Church in Guymon, OK.

Mima graduated summa cum laude from Oklahoma Panhandle State University in 1981, with a degree in Music Education. She began her teaching career at Goodwell Public Schools, teaching band and choir for grades K -12. Subsequently, she continued her career in Texhoma and Liberal, Kansas. She was responsible for music productions, and regularly produced superior choirs, ensembles, and solo ratings. Among her career highlights: her Texhoma choir was the only choir in its class to receive a Superior in performance, and her Liberal, KS Select choir performed the National Anthem at a Denver Rockies baseball game in 2000. Mima cherished her students and loved sharing music with them. She delighted in knowing that several of the kids she taught in school went on to be music teachers themselves. In 1987, Mima began teaching part-time at Oklahoma Panhandle State University. In 1989 Mima graduated with her Masters of Liberal Studies from the University of Oklahoma. Her one of a kind thesis on Women Composers opened many doors for her, being invited to speak across the U.S. She began teaching voice, piano, music history, and music methods classes full-time at OPSU in 1991. She served on multiple committees including NCA, NCATE, Education Council and Faculty Senate. She acted as a judge for state vocal contests for many years. It was by the time that she was working on her doctorate in Fine Arts Administration at Texas Tech University and TCU, when her grandchildren started arriving. For Mima, the decision to drop her studies to spend time with her grandchildren was an easy one. In 2015 Mima, alongside her husband, Rex, was inducted into the Alumni Ambassador Hall of Fame with OPSU.

In addition to all things music, Mima enjoyed traveling, her church, many years of card playing with beloved friends, being a member of P.E.O, and especially enjoyed her grandchildren. She traveled with the Canterbury Choir of OKC to perform in the cathedrals of England and went back again with her life-long girlfriends. She and Rex enjoyed traveling yearly to Denver, and to the New Mexico mountains with their children and grandchildren.

Mima was a common sight at her grandchildren’s events, traveling to ballgames, plays, concerts and graduations, enjoying every moment. She especially loved following the Clinton Red Tornadoes as her grandchildren were part of five Clinton Red Tornado State Championship football teams and one summer baseball State championship team. She also enjoyed attending the band and choir performances of her grandchildren and thought her Clinton grandchildren were in excellent hands under the band direction of Brent Evans and Teresa Segress and especially admired the work of Sandra Roulet as Choir director.

Mima was preceded in death by her parents and one sister Tara Peppers. She is survived by her husband of nearly 50 years Rex Hale, her sons Richard Phillips and wife Dacia of Clinton, OK, and Jon Phillips and wife Becky of Weatherford, OK. Mark Hale and wife Lindy of Brenham, TX and Joyce Hale Johnson of Tulsa, OK. Her grandchildren Lorna Hale of Calvert, TX, Layla Hale of Fayetteville, AR, Chase Phillips of Moore, OK, Grant Phillips and wife Susan of Edmond, OK, Ashton Robertson and husband Nikko of Edmond, OK; Trevor Franklin of New York City, NY, Jacob Phillips of Lubbock, TX, and Payton Phillips of Weatherford, OK. Her much loved Great Grandchildren Decker and Dylan Phillips and Kobe Robertson. Her sisters Joyce Field, Angie Hoover and husband Danny, and Debbie Peppers.

Mima passed away from a rare blood disorder and chose to donate her body to science. At this time the family is planning a virtual memorial by asking everyone to share photos, stories, and videos to be included in a presentation for all to see; please send to rjphill@ swbell.net. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the charity of your choice.