Samuel Irvin Hailey, 87, passed away on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2020, at his home in Springtown, Texas. Samuel was born on June 8, 1933, in Joplin, Missouri, son of the late Walter D. Hailey and Louise M. Hailey. After graduating from high school, Samuel proudly enlisted in the U. S. Army and served during the Korean War.
In 1955, Samuel married Shirley Mae Phillips. After a honeymoon at Rockaway Beach, the couple settled in Joplin. Samuel worked as a mechanic for several years before attending business college and getting a degree in drafting. The degree in drafting led him to travel, working for Boeing in Wichita, Kansas, which led to being employed by General Dynamics in San Diego, California. In 1975, Samuel transferred to General Dynamics/Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth, where he worked for 41 years, retiring July 2010.
Samuel was a born-again Christian and was active in the Southern Baptist Church, serving as a Sunday school teacher, church training director, and a licensed minister. After moving to Fort Worth, he attended Southwestern Seminary for several semesters part-time while working.
In addition to his parents, Samuel was preceded in death by his wife, Shirley, who passed away on June 9, 2011; a stepson, Ralph Wayne Thompson, who passed away in 2019; and his brother, Donald Douglas Hailey, in 1989.
Samuel is survived by a daughter and son-in-law, Glenda and Calvin Martin of Springtown, Texas; sister and brother-in-law, Iola and Ronald Bryant of Joplin, Missouri; brother and sister-in-law, Victor and Jaquetta Hailey of Webb City, Missouri; and sisters-in-law, Rose Hailey of Tulsa, Oklahoma; LaVerne Howerton of Webb City, Missouri; and Barbara Phillips of Springfield, Missouri. Samuel was blessed with five grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
A graveside service will be held in Joplin, Missouri, at Ozark Memorial Park Cemetery.
*All obituaries are submitted by family and friends of the deceased.
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