Wallace "Wally" F. Gale

Wallace "Wally" Franklin Gale passed away on December 20, 2021, due to complications from a recent fall. He was born July 10, 1934, in Wagner, SD, as the third of six children, born to Lester and Mary (DeNoma) Gale. Wally was raised on a farm, and followed his older brothers and became an ironworker, after graduating from Wagner High School, in 1952. While working on the Gavin's Point Dam, near Yankton, SD, he went to a social in nearby Bow Valley, NE. There, he met his future bride, Gert Wieseler, on the dance floor. They were married on December 28, 1955, in St. Helena, NE. They journeyed together towards Washington State, Gert working as a nurse and Wally working on silos, dams, skyscrapers, and powerhouses. Along the way, they grew their family, ending up with nine children over the course of 12 years. The family came to the Wenatchee Valley, in 1964, as Wally began working on Wells Dam. He joked that they ended up in East Wenatchee, WA, because, "that is where the truck died." Actually, the truck broke down just short of the Lazy Spokes trailer park. Wally fell in love with the beauty of the Wenatchee Valley and chose to stay, building a house on Grant Road. In 1970, Wally and Gert bought an orchard in Malaga, WA, because as Wally put it, they needed a babysitter for their nine kids. They put seven kids through the Eastmont School District, where they were well-known to teachers, coaches, and referees. They moved from the house on Grant Road to the orchard, in 1984. Wally retired from a fulfilling ironworking career in 1988. Wally was extremely proud to discover a new strain of apple in his orchard and named it the Gale Gala. He enjoyed singing with the Apollo club, volunteering with the food bank, and restoring a 1953 Chevy truck that he then donated to the Knights of Columbus as a fundraiser. Wally was preceded in death by his wife, Gert; and two of his children: Cindy and Danny. He is survived by his younger brother, Dennis (Karen) of Sioux Falls, SD; and his children: Doug (Kay) Gale of Tacoma, WA, Donny (Karen) Gale of Frisco, TX, Mary (Dave) Hyde of Wenatchee, WA, John (Karen) Gale of Elk Grove, CA, Andy (Heidi) Gale of East Wenatchee, WA, Jane Olinger of Goldendale, WA, and Lee Gale of Malaga, WA. He has 20 grandchildren whom he adored: Katie, Amanda, Emily, Kyle, Evie, Isabel, Nora, Scott, Andrew, Jake, Nick, Holly, Luke, Abbie, Ellie, Annie, Jessica, Evan, Aaron, and Amber. Wally would let everyone know how "incredible and gorgeous they were, just like their Grandpa". He had six great-grandkids. He was fondly remembered by the family for his stories, "Wally-isms", sense of humor, and robust laughter. The family would like to thank the staff at Bonaventure, Central Washington Hospital, and Colonial Vista for their care, patience, and ability to endure Wally's relentless sense of humor. Funeral Service will be held on March 5, 2022, 11am, at Holy Apostles Catholic Church, 1315 8th St. NE, East Wenatchee, WA. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Special Olympics at https://support.specialolympics.org/ or Alzheimer's Association at https://act.alz.org/.

Wallace "Wally" F. Gale

July 10, 1934 - December 20, 2021