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Lucy Hale confirmed on Monday, July 20, that her father, Preston Hale, passed away on Friday, July 17, at the age of 68.
The Pretty Little Liars actress shared the news in an emotional Instagram tribute alongside a carousel of family photos, admitting she “can’t believe” she was writing the post.
She described her father as “mind-numbingly funny, sensitive and deeply kind,” adding that he adored his family — his children, his grandbabies, his dogs, his lifelong friends and his wife Stacy, whom she called “the love of his life.”
Lucy, 37, said her father took immense pride in his farming career and his hometown of Milan, Tennessee. She called him “a true Southern man with a genuine soul” who loved fishing, hunting, golfing and farming, adding that she would even miss buying him Bass Pro Shops gift cards.
“And he unconditionally loved me and my sister. He never judged. Our relationship took on many forms over the years and through it all was a deep soul bond. Our last conversation was beautiful. The last time I saw him was beautiful. Our last phone call was perfect,” she continued.
The actress went on to reveal that her older sister, Maggie, happened to be visiting her in Los Angeles when the family received the news, calling the timing something “only God and my dad could have orchestrated.”
She said she could not imagine getting the call or facing those first days alone and thanked her father for making sure her sister was by her side.
“My spirituality and my beliefs are bringing me comfort right now. I know my dad isn’t gone—he’s simply taken a different form,” she went on, adding that she believes he will stay with her forever. “He’ll keep surprising us, sending little signs and somehow still making us belly laugh.”
Lucy closed her tribute, addressing her father. “You are a legend, Daddy. Thank you for the lessons, the memories, the unconditional love and for being the exact father I needed in this life. I’ll love you in this lifetime and all the others. Watch over us. Rest easy.”
Lucy ended the tribute by asking followers to keep her stepmother, Stacy, in their prayers as she navigates the loss.
According to an obituary published by Bodkin Funeral Home, Preston was born on May 5, 1958, in Milan, Tennessee and was raised by his grandparents, O.P. and Doris Hale. He built his career in agriculture, starting on his family’s farm before attending Memphis Cotton School.
He spent 20 years in corporate cotton management with Dunavant Cotton before returning to Milan, where he worked for 17 years with Shoaf Farms.
“His legacy lives on through the fields he tended, the family he cherished, the love he shared with Stacy, the friendships he built and the memories created on golf courses, in duck blinds, on Kentucky Lake and around tables filled with food, music and laughter,” the obituary read.
The message signed off with a heartfelt line: “A life well lived is measured not by years, but by the impact made on others. By that measure, Preston Hale lived an extraordinary one.”
