An active volunteer for Council of Aging and a member of the Retired Men’s Club
WAKEFIELD — Mr. Robert Orrin Hale, a life-long resident of Wakefield, passed away at age 89, at his home built by his great uncle Horace Hale in 1892. Robert was born at the Melrose Hospital in 1933, one of three sons of the late Orrin J. Hale and Elizabeth (Maloney) Hale.
Robert attended St. Joseph’s Parochial School and graduated from Wakefield High School in 1951. He attended Burdett College where he majored in Business Administration and graduated in 1953 with “Outstanding Student of the Year” award. He earned a B.S. in Business Administration from Suffolk University in 1955 and later a Master’s in Education from Boston University.
In his early years he held a variety of positions at Boston Medical Library, Dun and Bradstreet, National Shawmut Bank, Gilchrist Co. and at Gillette Safety Razor Co. as an internal auditor. At Townsend Co., TRS Division starting in Customer Service he climbed the ladder to Plant Manager with 500 employees. He finished his career at Harvard Community Health Plan and retired in 2001 at 68 years old.
Since retirement Robert has made many trips to Ireland, Europe and even China. Robert has been active locally as a volunteer for Mystic Valley Elders Services, Council of Aging in Wakefield, and a member of the Retired Men’s Club of Wakefield.
Robert is survived by his one first cousin Rev. David Foley of Marco Island Florida.
Robert’s twin brother, William J. Hale, an avid world traveler and well-known jeweler in France and Switzerland passed away at 39 years of age. His older brother, Richard C. Hale, worked at New England Bolt in Everett for over 40 years, lived with Robert and passed away in September 2015.
Back in the early 1950’s Robert discovered that his mother had two cousins still living on the original family farm in Garryvoe, Co. Cork, Ireland. He became close friends with their descendants. After he retired, Robert built a home just a mile from the original farm overlooking Garryvoe and Ballycotton.
At Robert’s request, services were private and he was laid to rest in the family plot in St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Stoneham.
