Richard Harold Hales

Richard Harold Hales was born August 23, 1942, in Lake Elsinore, Riverside County, California to Francis Herbert (Herb) Hales and Emma Asher Hales. He grew up in Lake Elsinore graduating from the Elsinore Union High School in 1960 as the salutatorian and having earned a lifetime membership in the California Scholarship Federation. He loved sports most all of his life and played on the basketball and football teams during his junior high and high school years. He attended the Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, graduating in 1967 with a B.S. degree in chemistry and again in 1970 with a Ph.D. in organic chemistry. Richard interrupted his schooling to serve an LDS mission to Uruguay, South America, from January 1963 to July 1965. He married Catherine Janet Conley in the LDS Arizona Temple on May 28, 1966. To that union were born six children: Cristin Abbott (Robert) of Herriman, Utah; Brent Douglas (Cindy) of Stansbury Park, Utah; TraciLynn of Salt Lake City, Utah; Matthew Wayne (Kristen) of Clinton, Utah; Brad Conley (Jennifer) of Georgetown, Texas, and Mandy Gibbs (Michael) of Salt Lake City, Utah. He is also survived by 16 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren. Richard worked for a year at the University of Utah as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow and then taught chemistry in Merida, Venezuela, South America for two years. After returning to the US in 1973 he spent the rest of his working life in Utah as an industrial researcher in the areas of biomedical test development, organic chemical synthesis, industrial explosives and military propellants. During his work experience he earned eight US patents and more than 77 foreign patents and co- authored eight publications. After being single for three years, Richard married Karen Ann Kramer on February 14, 1998, in the LDS Jordan River Temple for time and all eternity. Richard loved first his God, second his family, and third, the people, culture, and language of South America. He served his God as a missionary, a Bishop, a District President of the Venezuela Western District in Venezuela, a High Councilor, a teacher, and in many other capacities for more than 60 years. After his retirement he served a part time LDS service mission for almost four and a half years at the LDS Business College in Salt Lake City, Utah. Because of health problems he was never able to fulfill his life-long desire to return to South America and serve a Senior mission with his wife. Although suffering from severe pain in his later years, he wrote and published his autobiography. He is survived by his dear wife, Karen; his six children; and by two brothers, Glen (Mari Lynn) of Las Vegas, Nevada and Lloyd (Barbara) of El Paso, Texas. He was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Marilyn (Jerald) Smith; and his two brothers, Ronald (Kathryn) and Lloyd's twin brother, Floyd. Richard (died of) on June 17, 2017. Funeral services will be held Saturday, June 24, 2017 at 11 a.m., at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel, 9376 S. 4000 W. in West Jordan, Utah, where viewings will be held Friday, June 24th, 6-8:00 p.m. and prior to services from 9:45-10:45 a.m. Interment will take place following the services at the West Jordan Cemetery on 7800 South and 1300 West. Place of Birth:Elsinore, CaliforniaPlace of Death:West Jordan, Utah