Ernest "Buddy" Hales

Ernest "Buddy" Hales, 78, of Pine Bluff, passed away Tuesday, January 1, 2013 at St. Vincent Hospital in Little Rock. Born July 12, 1934, in Craighead County, Arkansas, he was a son of the late Ernest Fredrick and Emma Pearce Hales. He was reared and received his early education in Pine Bluff, graduating from Pine Bluff High School. In 1953, he married Norma Brown at the 6th Avenue Church of Christ in Pine Bluff. Together, they had two daughters and shared many wonderful memories in nearly sixty years of marriage. Mr. Hales worked for the Cotton Belt Railroad (now Union Pacific) in the clerical department for many years retiring in 1995. He was a faithful member of 6th Avenue Church of Christ in Pine Bluff. He was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters, Joy Boyd and Patsy White and two brothers, Paul Hales and Jimmy Hales. Mr. Hales is survived by his wife, Norma Hales, of Pine Bluff; his two daughters, Robin McDaniel and husband, Keith, of Pine Bluff and Tracy Halliburton and husband, Charles, of Rogers; his four grandsons, Christopher McDaniel and wife, Debbie, of Maumelle, Sean McDaniel and wife, Leslie, of Little Rock, Andrew Halliburton, of Mason City, Iowa and Trawick Halliburton, of Rogers; along with many nieces and nephews. The funeral service will be 2 p.m. Friday, January 4, 2013, in the Chapel of Ralph Robinson & Son Funeral Home with Mr. Todd Hales and Mr. Randall Elrod officiating. Burial will follow in Memorial Park Cemetery. The family will receive friends at 1 p.m. until service time on Friday. Friends may sign the online register at www.ralphrobinsonandson.com. Memorials may be made to CARTI at Baptist Medical Center, 9500 Baptist Health Drive, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205 or the American Heart Association, 909 West 2nd, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205.