Ellsworth Hunter Hale Jr.

Ellsworth Hunter Hale, Jr., beloved father, husband, grandpa, brother, son, friend, and filmmaker, passed away peacefully in his home surrounded by his family on September 22, 2024. He celebrated 86 years this past summer on his birthday, which he gladly shared with his oldest son, Jonathan. He died from complications stemming from liver cancer. In his short stay in the hospital, he endeared everyone to him with his generous spirit. With open hearts, his family says goodbye to this loving teacher, peacemaker, and gifted visionary. 

Hunter was born on July 5, 1938 in Salt Lake City to Ellsworth and Dorothy Hale. His mother and father always encouraged and supported him in the exploration of his marvelous gift for seeing the world through a filmmaker’s eyes. (His mother even let young Hunter bring mounds of sand into the house to get the scene just right for his earliest train scene.) Hunter attended East High School and later was called up to serve in the U.S. Army where he was stationed in Germany. Hunter was a lifelong learner and became an expert in Silent Film. He would go on to guest lecture at both the University of Utah and Brigham Young University’s film schools, write features for the Deseret News and Salt Lake Tribune, be interviewed on KUER radio, and delight many audiences with silent film introductions at the Organ Loft.  

Hunter met his companion and beloved partner, Ida Perry, while working at his family’s bakery, Hale Bakery, in Salt Lake City. They were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple on May 19, 1972. Hunter cherished and supported his dear Ida throughout their fifty-two years of marriage. Whether is was appreciating Ida’s myriad creative pursuits in the arts or celebrating her beautiful gardening through his films and photography, Hunter dearly loved his sweetheart. Hunter would spend hours retyping important spiritual talks for Ida even annotating and creating footnotes for study. They were deeply aware of each other’s values and beliefs and Hunter always strived to live them to his fullest. His six children were of such great importance to him. In his last days he was so deeply grateful for the beautiful sacrifices made in behalf of his care. While his autonomy and stoic drive carried him through many of his life’s toughest challenges, those deepest aches were transformed at the end, in part, through the loving kindness offered to him from his family and dear friends. 

Hunter provided many faithful years of service in his local church congregations and he served others maintaining libraries and equipment as well as setting up satellite broadcasts for larger church gatherings. In the early years he would offer his local church members a film screening at the church to bring many families together to be entertained, laugh together and be spiritually uplifted. He always had a purpose to his passions. Every film made or film championed or book offered was done so from his heart with the intention of uplifting as many as possible. Each story he shared with friends, acquaintances, children or grand-children contained, at its heart, his desire to uplift and spread joy.

Hunter was active into his final weeks, enjoying walks in his wheelchair to see the sunset and other wonders of the world he so carefully captured in many of his own documentary-style films. He had many projects constantly in various stages of development even into the final weeks of his life (always alongside with his brother Richard), including restoring films they dearly cherished and wished to share with others. In fact, he checked each one of those deeds off of his mental list, following through on each one until nearly the end. He was a man of connection and a pure heart who made friends for life, friends who loved and appreciated him deeply as a person and who described him as “a catalyst for motivation in restoring many of their films with BYU’s Film Library.” Together, with his dear brother Richard, he assembled and restored these films for many to see for generations to come. His carefully developed gifts in cinematography were remembered fondly by his friends from church throughout his lifetime. One remarked,“Your skills in cinematography, dating back to when you were a kid, are marvelous and done with remarkable skill.” He truly enriched the lives of all he met with his gifts. 

Hunter will be honored at a private service with his immediate family.

Family, friends, and fellow film lovers are invited to a memorial open house at the Hale residence on Saturday, September 28 from 2:00-4:30PM. 

Hunter will be interred at Mountain View Cemetery in Cottonwood Heights.

Hunter is survived by his wife, Ida; his six children and their spouses: Lisa, Emily, Jennifer, Jonathan (Emily), Jeffrey (Brittany), Bethany (Griffin); his eleven amazing grandchildren; his siblings, Richard (Mary), (Don), Jackie, Janie; his dog, Trixie, and his five rambunctious grand-dogs. 

Dad, we love you. We miss you and your kindness. May you enjoy reuniting with your parents; sisters, Jill and Sally; and your beloved Grandpa Hale until we meet again.