After battling bladder cancer with courage and grace, John "Jack" Ernest Hales, Jr., 81, of Star Valley Ranch, Wyoming passed away on May 20, 2024 at his beautiful home, with his wife, Susan, and eldest son, Matthew, by his side.
Jack was preceded in death by his father, John Ernest Hales, Sr. (1998), his mother, Aleen Eloise Ray (1990), his younger brother, Richard Alan Hales (2014) and his granddaughter, Maren Nelson Logan (2005).
Jack was born on June 11, 1942, in Long Beach California, to Johnny and Eloise Hales. He and his two younger brothers, Ron and Dick, enjoyed an idyllic childhood in Claremont and Whittier, California.  Their family life was filled with sports, camping, fishing and time spent with a large and close extended family.
At the age of six he experienced a rare snowfall in Claremont California. That was the beginning of his lifelong interest in weather.  Jack went on to receive both a B.S. and an M.S. degree in Meteorology from the University of Utah, where he also met Susan Ann Nelson, the love of his life.  Jack and Susan were married in Salt Lake City, Utah in December 1965.
Jack led a fabulous life full of passion for his family, career, hobbies and helping others. He left an indelible mark for the better on everyone who knew him.
He would be quick to tell you that his proudest accomplishment in life is his family.  Jack was a devoted and loving husband to Susan as well as a kind, wise and hands-on father to Sarah, Matthew, Aaron, Alison and John.  His children knew that as important as they were to him, no one was as important to him as their mom was.  Jack's and Susan's complementary personalities and the deep love and mutual admiration they had for each other made for a strong, fun and fulfilling marriage, and an unquestionably eternal bond.
As a father, Jack enjoyed his children at every age and stage and found great joy in raising them.  He was always there for them when they needed advice, a listening ear … or a reality check.  He was deeply proud that all five of his children grew up to be good, kind adults and that each of them possesses the high level of integrity, strong work ethic and desire to help others he modeled for them and hoped to instill.
It is an understatement to say that Jack went above and beyond to be present and active in his children's lives when they were growing up, whether it was attending their many activities, taking them on extended road trips, coaching their teams, eating lunch with them in the cafeteria, or giving a presentation about weather to their elementary school classes.
Jack was privileged to become a grandfather, otherwise known as "Papa," to Preston, Eloise, Clara and Maeve.  He could not have loved or enjoyed them more.  When his grandchildren were asked to describe their Papa, they said "respected" "warm" "gentle" and "the best!"  The deep love Jack had for each of them and the innumerable memories they created together, will be carried with them for the rest of their lives.
Any spare moment that wasn't invested in weather was likely invested in basketball, whether watching or playing. With his unique shooting form, Jack was an almost-unguardable 3-point threat in any game, even in his late 60's. As a talented young ball player once said at the YMCA, overheard by his son, "When I get old, I want to be just like that cat with the headband." He set an incredible personal record of 69 consecutive free throws at age 70 but still felt like he "choked" because he didn't shoot his age. He also loved competing in racquetball throughout much of his life, watching football (Go Chiefs, Sooners, Utes), sometimes watching baseball, and, of course, going fishing. But definitely not golf.
Jack had a particularly strong interest in learning about other people and their stories, whether it was through reading biographies or just talking to random people. If you were out in public with him, it was not surprising to find him in a friendly conversation with someone he had just met. If they had an interest in weather, you knew it was time to get comfortable. He would then eagerly share all the interesting things he had learned about that person.
Other joys in Jack's life included but were not limited to: great timing (intentional or unintentional), conservative mutual funds, webcams pointed at the sky, the value and reliability of Hondas, every last bit of any steak of any quality, guessing exactly what time you would pull into the garage, and finding or growing things to harvest and sell on his property (Christmas trees, morel mushrooms, tomatoes, gooseberries).
Since witnessing a snowstorm in Southern California as a six-year-old, Jack's vocation was meteorology. After earning his Master's of Meteorology at the University of Utah, Jack worked for the National Weather Service(known as the Weather Bureau before 1970) for a short time in Seattle, WA as an Observer.

His exceptional talent for understanding our atmosphere was noted by the Weather Bureau, and he spent six years forecasting for the entire state of Arizona; during which time Jack fundamentally advanced the science of forecasting thunderstorms for the Southwestern United States Monsoon. His advancements saved countless lives by improving flash flood forecasts.

In 1975, his contributions and forecasting skills earned him the prestigious position as lead forecaster at the National Severe Storms Forecast Center in Kansas City, MO (now the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, OK). Over the next 36 years, until his retirement in 2011, Jack's influence as lead forecaster of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes advanced the life-saving field into the 21st century through:

- mentoring and inspiring others, whether from within the National Weather Service or from the dozens of presentations he gave to school kids

- utilizing new technologies to increase forecast confidence and skill from a single day to eight days at the end of his career

- introducing the concept of the Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS) which the NWS has since adopted to all manner of warnings and watches

- working shifts at any time of day or night to issue 5,540 life saving severe thunderstorm and tornado watches (more than twice the number of any other lead forecaster who has ever held the position) while always keeping his cool with decisiveness and confidence

- earning many awards and medals for his career accomplishments and exceptional forecasts of weather outbreaks
To learn more about Jack's career, please visit his page on Wikipedia.
Jack was a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  Over the years, he was a friend, mentor and leader to many of those he came to know through church, as well as in the communities where he and his family lived.
He served others in countless ways throughout his life.  After he retired to Star Valley, Jack delivered for Meals-on-Wheels, through the Thayne Senior Center, occasionally taking one of his visiting children or grandchildren on his route with him.
Jack is survived by his loving wife of 58 years, Susan, his 5 children Sarah, Matthew, Aaron (Heather), Alison (Henry) Heimsoth, and John, as well as by his grandchildren Preston (Mary), Eloise and Clara Hales, and Maeve Heimsoth, and his brother Ron (Kathy) Hales.  Additionally, he leaves behind many adoring nieces and nephews, and their families, who loved and looked up to their Uncle Jack.
Jack's final resting place will be the Kemmerer Cemetery, in Kemmerer, Wyoming. A celebration of Jack's life for family and close friends will be held at a later date.
The Hales family would like to extend a special thanks to St. John's Cancer Care in Jackson Hole, WY and to Symbii Health in Afton, WY for their careful and compassionate care of Jack over the last few years.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that remembrances be made in the form of contributions to the Meals on Wheels program at the Thayne Senior Center by contacting Janan Lindroos (307) 883-2678.