Funeral homes often submit obituaries as a service to the families they are assisting. However, we will be happy to accept obituaries from family members pending proper verification of the death.
George Henry Gale, 91, of Portland, Ore., died March 30, 2017, at home surrounded by his children and grandchildren. George lived a full and complete life. He was grateful to spend the last eight months living with his daughter and son-in-law, Ellen and Walter Peck.
George was born March 31, 1924, in Montevideo, Minn., to Henry Pierce and Mary (Rowles) Gale. George and his brother Ed were young when their father died, ages 9 and 7 respectively, leaving their mother to raise the boys alone.
George proudly served in the Army in the 13th Airborne during World War ll. Upon graduation from the University of Minnesota Dental School in 1953, George moved his family to The Dalles, Ore., where he practiced dentistry for 35 years until his retirement in 1987. He was married to Audrey-Anne (Link) for 58 years, until her death in 2008. George and Audrey-Anne (AA) moved to Portland in 2007.
George nurtured his relationships; family, friends, and strangers could see he cared by his attentive eyes and ears. Because he wanted The Dalles to be a healthy place to raise a family, George contributed to many civic organizations. He believed in transparent and thorough discussions, serving many years with the Columbia Gorge Community College Board and the Citizens Oversight Committee for Responsible Government. An outdoor enthusiast, George loved fishing, hiking, climbing (including summiting Mt. Rainier in his 50’s), river rafting, photography, and sharing these passions with others.
He was a modest, kind and generous man who found happiness in simple things; seeing his grandchildren grow, watching hummingbirds, eating AA’s homemade bread, seeing young children full of joy.
Survivors include his children; Annie Gale, Kevin (Orna) Gale, Ellen Gale (Walter) Peck, Mary Gale, John Gale, Tom Gale and daughter-in-law Sharry Gale; grandchildren Ashley Gale (Kyle Eveland-DeWan,) Andrew Wood, Sara Gale, Eyal Gale, Riley (Amy) Peck, Yuval (Galit) Gale, Jessica Wood, Quinn Peck, Zoe Martin, Mairin Peck, five great-grandchildren, and many close friends. George was pre-deceased by brother Ed, wife Audrey-Anne, son Gregory, and grandchildren Steele Gale Martin and Tenille Holroyd.
George will be interred at Willamette National Cemetery next to his wife in a private family service.
Please join the family as they celebrate George’s life Monday, April 10, noon, at Elephants Delicatessen at 5221 SW Corbett Avenue in Portland, Ore. In lieu of flowers, remembrances are encouraged to Deschutes River Conservancy, Columbia Gorge Community College, or a charity of your choice.
