Gail Spittler Hales

On June 20, 2026, our loving wife, mother, grandmother, and friend, Gail Spittler Hales, passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones.

Gail was born on April 21, 1946, in Inglewood, California, and was raised in El Segundo, California. She graduated from El Segundo High School, where she was an honor student and participated in student government. During her youth, she enjoyed many happy hours with a close circle of friends, spending time at the beach and enjoying the sunshine and beauty of Southern California.

After high school, Gail attended Brigham Young University, where she majored in English and minored in Journalism and Education. She wrote for the student newspaper, The Daily Universe, and worked as the weekend telephone operator at the student health center. From an early age, Gail knew she wanted to be a teacher. Teaching and helping others became the guiding themes of her life.

Throughout her career, Gail taught students of all ages in Utah, Alaska, and China. She taught at Centerville Junior High School, Fort Wainwright Elementary School, Tanana Valley Community College, Resource Center for Parents and Children, Stevens-Henager College, Salt Lake Community College, and Nanjing University in Nanjing, China. In every setting, she shared her love of learning and her genuine concern for those she taught.

Gail's desire to serve extended beyond the classroom. She worked for W.A.C.A.P. (Western Association of Concerned Adoptive Parents), where she helped place many children into loving homes through open adoptions, including children from China, India, and Korea. After earning a master's degree in counseling from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, she and her dear friend Deane Adams opened Alaska Human Resources, a counseling practice that provided individual and marriage counseling, and taught job skills to students in rural villages throughout northern Alaska.

Known for her kindness and compassion, Gail continually reached out to help others. She said that she never had to forgive anyone because she chose not to be offended. She had a gift for seeing the good in people and extending friendship, encouragement, and understanding. Gail also took great pride in her appearance. Her hair was always beautifully styled, and she delighted in coordinating colors and details with care.

Gail married David A. Hales in the Salt Lake Temple on December 29,1978. She was a devoted member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served faithfully in many capacities throughout her life. Her service included callings in Primary, Cub Scouts, and Relief Society, including serving as a counselor in the Salt Lake Stake Relief Society Presidency and as a Relief Society President in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Fairbanks, Alaska. She also served as a stake missionary in California, an Addiction Recovery missionary in Utah, and as a temple ordinance worker in the Draper Temple.

Gail was proud of her pioneer heritage and spent countless hours writing family histories, conducting family research, and performing temple work. Her faith and testimony were central to her life and influenced all that she did.

She loved everything Irish. As a young woman, she played the guitar and enjoyed singing Irish folk music. She especially loved the Clancy Brothers, Tommy Makem, the Kingston Trio, and John Denver. She was also a devoted chocoholic who never met a chocolate dessert she didn't enjoy, especially rocky road ice cream and chocolate chip cookies.

An avid skier, Gail taught her brother and all of her children to ski, creating treasured family memories on the slopes. She was an excellent seamstress and made her own clothes for many years. This included matching outfits for her children when they were young. Whether singing Irish folk songs, enjoying a bowl of chocolate ice cream, researching family history, or spending time with those she loved, Gail found joy in life's simple blessings. Her warmth, generosity, faith, and lifelong commitment to serving others touched countless lives and will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Clifford and Fern (Hill) Spittler, and her sister, Sheryl Hubbard. She is survived by her husband David and children, Christopher, Rachel Buhler, Alexander (Alyssa Nielson), and Brendan (Jennie); her brother, Kent Spittler (Karen); and six grandchildren whom she loved and adored: Harmony, Kaitlyn, Kayden, Riley, Owen, and Sophie. Also, survived by many cousins, nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, July 11, 2026, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 348 East Manti Drive, Draper, Utah. Visitation from 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM; Service 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM. Interment will be at 2:00 PM at Larkin Sunset Gardens, 1950 East 10600 South, Sandy, UT 84092. In lieu of flowers, please consider contributing to her favorite charity, Smile Train, SmileTrain.org or P.O. Box 96231, Washington, DC 20077.

The funeral services will be streamed live at:
https://evt.live/gail-hales