Nancy Monroe Hale

Nancy Monroe Hale, born September 6, 1946, entered the presence of our Lord on June 18, 2026, surrounded by the love of her family and friends. Her 79 years were marked by unwavering faith, joyful service, and a lifelong devotion to lifting others up.

Nancy was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and spent her formative years in Atalla and Cuba, Alabama, as well as in Warrington and Miami, Florida. She graduated from Miami Senior High School. She then attended Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama where she met Jim, the great love of her life. Nancy and Jim were married on August 3, 1968, beginning a 57-year marriage marked by deep love, shared faith, and faithful service together.

Nancy began her teaching career in Alabama, and in 1974 she and Jim moved to Fort Walton Beach, Florida, where she spent more than 30 years shaping young minds in the Okaloosa County School District. She taught first grade at both Elliott Point Elementary and Shalimar Elementary, and later taught Social Studies and Reading at Choctawhatchee High School.

She was known as a champion for the underdog - firm, compassionate, and gifted at reaching the students others struggled to reach. Her reading successes became legendary, and her blend of grace, high expectations, and fierce belief in her students left a permanent mark on hundreds of young lives. In her later years, she treasured the chance to reconnect with former students and found joy in gathering with the Choctaw Retired Teacher Group.

Her life was anchored in her faith and in the ministry of First Baptist Church of Fort Walton Beach, the same church where her father, Dr. James Monroe, served as pastor and her mother, Laura Monroe, served faithfully as the pastor’s wife.

She poured her heart into the life of the church for decades. She taught High School and Adult Sunday School, invested deeply in the choir, youth choir, and children’s programs, and especially loved Vacation Bible School. She also served as wedding coordinator and on the hospitality committee, offering warmth, steadiness, and joy to every event and every person she touched. She had a deep heart for missions, faithfully serving wherever there was a need - through mission trips, “Mats for Missions,” and local outreach ministries such as “Cold Night” - always eager to share Christ’s love in both word and action.

She was affectionately known as “Mrs. Nancy” - a mentor to young women, a source of encouragement, and someone who believed that inviting people into fellowship was the first step toward nurturing their faith.

She deeply loved her friends. She carried friendships from every walk of life and every neighborhood she ever lived in, always showing up with kindness, humor, and her famous cheese grits. She also volunteered at the hospital gift shop, simply because she loved people and wanted to bring comfort to those who needed it.

Her legacy is one of a devoted Christian, a selfless servant, a beloved and gifted educator, a respected wife, mother, and Nana, and a steadfast friend.

Nancy Monroe Hale is survived by her loving husband, Jim Hale, her sons, Lee Hale and Curt Hale, and her beloved daughters in love, Gretchen Hale and Noël Hale.

Her grandchildren - Brett Hale, Eve Holguin (and her husband Johnny Holguin), Monroe Hale, Abram Hale, Sophie Hale, and Lottie Hale - were her pride and delight.

She is also survived by her sisters, Saralyn Collins and Ruth Cameron.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Dr. James Monroe and Laura Monroe.

Services will be held on Thursday, June 25, 2026, at First Baptist Church of Fort Walton Beach, located at the corner of 1st Street and Harbeson Avenue. Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m., followed by the service at 11:00 a.m. A reception will be held at noon.

In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to consider a donation to the Stone 12 Building Fund at First Baptist Church. https://www.fbcfwb.org/stone12