LONGTIME WRITER, COLUMNIST LEON HALE DIES

  

One of Texas’ most beloved writers has died.

Leon Hale, a columnist for the Houston Chronicle and the Houston Post for 65 years, died Saturday at the age of 99.

Hale, who lived with his wife Babette in Winedale, near the Fayette/Washington County line, began working at the Houston Post in 1952 and the Chronicle in 1984 before retiring in 2014.  He also authored a dozen books, and continued to write short entries for the Chronicle after his retirement.

Hale wrote thousands of columns telling stories such as his annual trips to South Texas with Old Friend Morgan for the beginning of spring, driving the 610 loop in Houston, and his visits to see Madame Z, a Brazos River bottom fortuneteller.

Prior to earning his journalism degree at Texas Tech University, Hale served for three years in the U.S. Army Air Corps, flying 50 combat missions during the European Theatre of World War II.

Hale’s last book, “See You Down the Road,” was published earlier this month.  His wife Babette is also a writer and publisher.