Amy Marie Gale

Amy Marie Gale, whom those of a certain age may remember from her years in East Hampton High School’s guidance office, died on April 27 in Maspeth, Queens, following a brief illness. She was 84.

Mrs. Gale worked as a secretary in the guidance office in the 1960s before switching to a job at the middle school, from which she retired in the mid-’70s. She was an active parishioner of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and sang with the Sweet Adelines chorus.

Amy Marie Heisler was born in Buffalo on Aug. 19, 1933, one of two daughters of R. Heisler and the former Amy Newman. The family moved to Long Island when she was a child, and she graduated from Southside High School in Rockville Centre. After graduation she attended the Katharine Gibbs Secretarial School.

On Sept. 16, 1951, she married William Henry Gale, who was in the Army at the time. He was shipped overseas shortly after. Upon his return, they lived first in Long Beach, then in Rockville Centre and Wantagh, before moving to East Hampton in 1960, where the last two of their six children were born. In addition to her job, Mrs. Gale was actively involved in all of the children’s activities. 

In the mid-’90s the Gales retired to Monroe, N.C., with their son Edward. In their retirement they traveled extensively, the family said, especially enjoying a series of river cruises in Europe. 

Mrs. Gale, who loved to read, joined several book clubs in Monroe, where the couple were members of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. She was active in the Arc of North Caroline, an organization that provides advocacy and support services for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities, and was its president for a time. She kept fit with water aerobics at the town’s aquatics and fitness center, and made many friends, relatives said, in Woodridge, a retirement community there.

Her husband died in 2013. 

A funeral service was held on May 1 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, the Rev. Brad Smith officiating. Burial followed at Lakeland Memorial Park in Monroe, next to her husband.

Two daughters and four sons survive. They are Carol Gale of Charlottesville, Va., Laura Bourhana of Maspeth, William Gale of New York City, John Gale of East Hampton, James Gale of Snellville, Ga., and Edward Gale of Monroe. She also leaves five grandchildren. A sister, Rose Ellen Daly, died before her.

Memorial donations have been suggested for Loaves and Fishes of Union County, N.C., a nonprofit food pantry, P.O. Box 790, Monroe, N.C. 28111.