Francis Duane Hale

Francis Duane Hale

February 12, 1940 ~ February 25, 2026

Francis Duane Hale, 86, passed away peacefully on February 25, 2026. He was born on February 12, 1940, in Afton, Wyoming, to Vasco Lester Hale and Della Hoopes Hale. He was the sixth of seven children. He had four older sisters and two brothers.

Duane loved growing up in Afton. He enjoyed collecting butterflies and insects, hunting, fishing, and being outdoors. He was in 4-H and won many first-place ribbons at the State Fairs. Duane

graduated from Star Valley High in May 1959. He attended the University of Wyoming for a year. Duane was called to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served faithfully in the Western States Mission and had many baptisms.

After Duane was released from his full-time mission, he served as the first counselor in the Star Valley Stake Mission. He worked for the forest service and at the Call Aircraft Factory. He later enrolled at Utah State University in Logan, Utah, where he met Kristine Carroll. They fell in love and were married in the Manti Utah Temple on March 27, 1964. They moved to Salt Lake City to raise their family.

Duane and Kristine had three daughters, Sandra, Sherry, and Shelly. Kristine passed away suddenly at the age 26, leaving him alone with three little girls. He met Diann Benson and they married in the Salt Lake Temple on September 22, 1972. They had three boys, Michael, Justin, and Kevin. They were married for 42 years.

Duane loved to go to garage and estate sales and collected everything. He opened the Elk Horn Gift Shop in Afton, Wyoming, to sell collectables and antiques during the summer months. Duane had a home built north of Afton. He lived in Salt Lake in the winter and in Afton in the summer.

Duane married a lifelong family friend, Sally Price Shorter, on August 7, 2021, at Duane’s home in Afton. She spent many months taking care of him and was a great blessing to our family.

Duane is survived by his wife, Sally Shorter; his six children, Sandra (Ron) Jensen, Sherry (Tom) Miggin, Shelly (Daniel) Batres, Michael (Tomoko) Hale, Justin (Rebecca) Hale, and Kevin Hale; 13 grandchildren, Kali, Angela, Stephanie, Tyler, Nicole, Lyndsi, Ryan, Josh, Caria, Gillian, Anna, Taggart, and Jack; 15 great-grandchildren; and his brother, Darrel (Paula) Hale. He was preceded in death by his parents, 5 siblings, his first wife Kristine, and his second wife Diann.

A private family service will be held Wednesday, March 4, 2026. Interment Elysian Burial Gardens. Care entrusted to Lindquist’s Bountiful Mortuary.