Couple dies holding hands after 60 years of marriage

BATAVIA, NY — Ed and Floreen Hale met at a dance 60 years ago and remained inseperable for 60 years, even at the end of their lives.

The Western New York couple took daily drives around their hometown of Batavia and were well-known for frequenting diners.

Floreen Hale died on Feb. 7 and her husband died the following day in the same hospital room surrounded by family. He held her hand until the end.

The Hales lived in a house designed by Hale himself, who was an engineer, according to a local newspaper.

He did the grocery shopping and always brought his wife home a treat. She worked as a phone operator at a hospital.

Ed Hale was full of energy, according to family members, until about five years ago when he started dialysis treatements three days a week.

He was at Unity Hospital in Rochester when Floreen became seriously ill. She was admitted to another hospital about an hour away and it divided the family.

"We didn't know whose bedside we should go to," daughter Renee told OrleansHub.com.

Hale insisted on joining his wife so his daughte reached out to Hospice to arrange Mr. Hale's transportation to his wife's hospital.

Their hospital beds were pushed together and the couple held hands as 20 to 30 friends and family visited.

Mrs. Hale passed away first, her husband just hours later.

The couple had a well-attended joint funeral last week.

“People have told us it’s a beautiful story, a real testament of love,” said Mrs. Hale's niece. “We’re so thankful they were able to be together at the end. People moved mountains to make it happen. It was nothing short of divine intervention.”

WSBTV