Celebrating 102 years of life: Roy Gale remembered by friends, family

By Samantha Johnson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter on October 19, 2022.

reporter@medicinehatnews.com

A celebration of life was held for Roy Gale at the Royal Canadian Legion, Robertson Memorial Branch No. 17.

Gale was one of the five longest serving members of the Lion’s Club in the district, serving on every committee and in every position. He was a member for 62 years and was well known for embellishing a story.

One of the latest was that he took a tumble while working in the booth at the Stampede. He refused to take time off, saying he could do as he pleased. Soon after, he was telling people that someone wanted to break into the booth and hold them up, and he was the one who single-handedly fought them off.

All six of his children spoke, each claiming to be the favourite child. Eldest daughter Liz said, “He knew something about everything, he never stopped learning, reading or teaching. He could complete a crossword puzzle in under 15 minutes. He was very proud of himself for rebuilding a tractor and Model-T car, which he drove to Edmonton and around Alberta.”

Son Tom related.

“My father was an amazing father for 75 years. My memories of him revolve around him buying me my first car, and my second, and my third and fourth. He was always a giving person, he gave us lots of gasoline for our cars, sometimes unbeknownst to him.”

Daughter Marilyn spoke of living in Dunmore.

“Twice a year he blew out a gas well and a two-foot-long piece of stinking mud came out and broke our bedroom window. Two modern things really ticked him off. The first was photo radar tickets and the next was no salt on the table.”

Son Dave talked about Gale’s time during the war and overseas, and a memory of when his dad was four years old and had to hold pillows against the window during a severe thunderstorm, one that destroyed his parents’ farm in Saskatchewan and resulted in them moving to Medicine Hat.

Stan, the fifth child, related this memory:

“We buy a tractor from a farmer and there’s no loading ramp. Dad hooks up the five-ton truck with a long chain and pulls the tractor backward. He says to sit on the gas tank and remember to steer opposite to the way you want to go. I’m seven. He’s pulling me backwards down the road, and I’m wobbling around this way and that.”

The youngest, Brian, said, “He had a very persistent personality. I’ve heard other people speak of that as well. Mom used other words. When she was kind, she said he was obstinate, and then pig-headed was often used. If you look at that through another lens, you could say he never let anybody bully him. He never gave up on his own ideas.”

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