Dr. Les Hale CEDAR FALLS — Dr. Les Hale, 86, of Texas, formerly of Cedar Falls, died Tuesday, Aug. 1, in Texas of Parkinson’s disease. He was born April 19, 1931, in Lincoln, Neb. He married his wife, Colleen, in September 1953. Les grew up in Council Bluffs and served in the U.S. Air Force. He attended Graceland College, the University of Southern California, Drake University, Indiana University and the University of Missouri- Kansas City. He came to the University of Northern Iowa in 1960 and founded and directed the UNI Varsity Men’s Glee Club for 14 years. He also conducted the Metropolitan Chorale and other choral groups. A professor emeritus at UNI since 1988, Hale served as chairman of the music department and director of choral activities at Price Lab School. He created and directed 19 years of the Madrigal Dinners. He founded and led the Les Hale Chorale for 28 seasons. He was a guest conductor, visiting clinician in choral, vocal pedagogy and music theater and an adjudicator for all levels of vocal performance, including Metropolitan Opera auditions, and taught many private voice students. Survived by: his wife; two children, Cynthia Garretson of Midland, Texas, and David Hale of Austin, Texas; and three grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Memorial services: are pending. Memorials: may be directed to the UNI Foundation Les Hale Scholarship. From the Waterloo Courier, August 3, 2017.
