Gale Thomas Pearce

Gale Thomas Pearce was born August 24, 1940 at Providence Hospital in Everett, Wa to Tom and June Pearce. Gale graduated from Bellingham High School in 1958.  Gale spent the summer after graduating on a US Forest Service Surveying crew that was locating logging roads into the Mt Baker National Forest.  In the fall of 1958 he began attending college at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington, majoring in Pre-Medicine.  He attended WWU until the fall of 1960 when he received his Vietnam draft notice.  Instead of awaiting draft call-up, he enlisted in the Washington Army National Guard and was sent to Basic Training in Fort Ord, California in October 1960.  After completing Basic Training, he was sent to Fort Sam Houston, TX for training as a medical corpsman.  He complete his advanced training in April 1961 and returned home where, that June, he met the young lady that would accompany him for the rest of his life. 

Gale and Wanda Lee Jones were married November 11, 1961 in Stanwood, WA.  For the next 8 years, Gale and Wanda bounced around the Puget Sound area as they brought their 3 young children, Dennis, Dan and Deanna into the world.  In 1969, deciding that enough havoc had been wreaked on the Puget Sound area, Gale accepted a position as a Pharmaceutical Salesman for Squibb, covering the entire state of Alaska.  He traveled the state (as a drug pusher he liked to say) often with the family in tow until being accepted into the University of Washington MEDEX program.  He graduated from that program as part of class 5-6, to be released upon the world.  He did his preceptorship in Republic Washington and immediately following the conclusion of that program in the Fall of 1973, the family was again packaged up and headed for new adventures in Skagway Alaska.  There are many stories of the “firsts” that Gale encountered over the next 38 years as a practicing PA throughout Alaska as he worked in Homer, Prudhoe Bay, Kodiak, Anchorage and Whittier before retiring in 2011.  Medical issues required that Gale and Wanda leave their adopted home and move back to Washington State in October 2012 where they enjoyed living in Enumclaw and Covington until Gale passed into Eternity, June 1, 2019 at the Franciscan Hospice House in University Place, WA. 

Through the years, from High School until health no longer allowed it, Gales passion was wood-working.  The home that Gale and Wanda built in Homer Alaska still has the spindles on the staircase railing that were turned by Gale in the late 70’s.  Along the way there have been bowls, ducks, pens, harps and assorted wood projects of many types created, given away and sold.  When he wasn’t reducing large pieces of lumber to sawdust, he enjoyed mountain climbing, scuba diving, fishing/boating, teaching EMT courses and spending time with many, many friends and family. 

Through it all, Gale enjoyed a very devoted relationship with his heavenly father whom he began to walk with in 1951 with the loving help and guidance of Rosetha Newman and her Sister Beryl.  He kept in very close contact with his father for the next 68 years. 

Gale was preceded into Eternity by his parents Tom and June, his brother Kent and wife Evelyn and his niece Michelle Pearce. 

Gale is survived by his wife Wanda, his children Dennis (Julie), Dan (Amber) and Deanna (Gary) Kohl.  His six grand-children: Jasmine Pearce, Ian and Bryanna Pearce and Warren, Brycen and Kyleah Kohl.  Two brothers; Garry (Frances) Pearce of Woodburn, OR and Curt (Carol) Pearce of Shoreline, Wa.  Nephews – Michael, Keith and Craig Pearce, Steve Nikas and Nieces: Marci and Rebecca Pearce.

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