John Hale 

Even though many people are products of the Catholic school system, there probably aren't too many men among the Knights of Columbus who still keep in touch with their first grade teacher.  John is one such person.  John has been influenced by a strong Catholic family background, which is a part of what it was that brought his to the Knights.  A na­tive of the Bronx, New York, he remembers well going through Catholic education from St. Gabe's in the Bronx through un­dergrad work and Med School at Georgetown University with it's Jesuit influences in Washington.  The effects of all this, coupled with his Catholic family back­ground, have helped him to de­velop into a person who believes it is important to give something back to society, and he sees the Knights as doing just that.

 

A number of people in John's ex­tended family have been involved in religious life, and he describes his father as "one of the best Christians" he has ever known.  His father is an attorney who is also a Fourth Degree Knight.  John, who just completed the Second and Third Degree in March, looks forward to discussing some of his degree experiences with his dad.   He also considers the special influences of other family members and friends as being examples of faith to him.  John recalls the involvement of some Knights in his native New York in projects in Harlem, a part of what helped him to see that the KC's were really trying to give something back to the community while at the same time helping those who were in need.

 

After completing Med School at Georgetown, John found himself in Louisville for six years, doing residency.  While initially inter­ested in orthopedics, he found himself drifting more toward his current interests of Obstetrics and Family Practice.  He is a part of the staff at Beaumont Clinic and does work at both St. Vincent and Bellin Hospitals.  He enjoys being involved in the delivery of babies and feels his desire to work in ob­stetrics comes from a rewarding ability to appropriately manipulate the physiology to create the ideal environment for a developing child.  In a certain sense, it is like the Knights who try to re-create the world for the betterment of its people.

 

John and his family came to Green Bay last July and became a part of St. Bernard Parish, where he serves as a Minister of Hospitality.  The move was job-related; John tells the story of a 'headhunter' who talked to him about the position at Beaumont which he ended up filling.  He's very happy with Green Bay, and delighted to be near water since he likes to sail.  After his experi­ences in the Mid-West, he's thinking he'd never want to go back East, except that there is the drawback of not being near his parents who still live in the New York area, as well as his wife's family.

 

John and his wife, Marti, have been married for almost eight years now and have two children, Jack and Kate.  There's a third one on the way soon, and Marti, who is a Registered Nurse, is employed full time as wife and mother.  John spends the better part of his day at the Clinic, while also dealing with meetings and surgery.  In addition to his interest in joining the Knights because of a desire to be involved in an organi­zation that gives something back to the community, John sees his involvement as an opportunity to meet new people as well.  He was recently contacted by Dave Tlachac about membership in the Knights, and completed First De­gree in early March as well as Second and Third on March 27, moving to full Knighthood before he even had a chance to attend a Council meeting.  Though his on-call and work schedule will be a factor, he hopes to be involved in the meetings and activities of the Council as much as he can.

 

John is convinced that a healthy Spiritual life is directly related to the ability to have a healthy physical life.  His work in the Church and the world is evidence of that belief.

 

May 1994