Obituary of CECIL GALE

Cecil Gale, born in Atoka, Okla. on February 15, 1920 to Effie (Southern) and Buck Gale, departed this life on July 4, 2011 at Ranch Terrace Nursing home at the age of 91 years four months and 19 days. Cecil married Sylvia Mae Bricker on June 6, 1943 in Bixby during the height of World War II. The marriage lasted for 65 years and was interrupted only by the death of Sylvia in July of 2008. Cecil and Sylvia worked together to raise a family of four, two girls and two boys, during the time when most families struggled to get by on little money for hard work. Cecil took the family from Bixby to Doster, Mich. for two nice summers and one very cold winter in the war years of 1944-45, then returned to Bixby, then Turley, Jenks, Bixby again and finally to Sapulpa where he went to work for Liberty Glass in 1954 where he remained for 28 years, retiring after a severe injury to his right arm in 1982. Cecil loved to fish and to repair anything, but especially lawnmowers of which there always seemed to be an abundance of around their house in Oakhurst. He and Sylvia also never got out of the child rearing business helping to raise numerous grandkids and even great grandkids up into their 80s. He was active for many years at the old Wesley Methodist Church in Sapulpa until it closed several years ago. He and Sylvia then moved their membership to the Oakhurst Babtist Church where he served as a Deacon until his health got the better of him during these last three years. Cecil was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Sylvia (Bricker) Gale one brother, Leonard Gale, one stepson, Lonnie Lee Johnson and one daughter, Penelope (Penny) Dean. He is survived by one sister, Katherine Zitel of Tulsa and one brother, Floyd Gale and wife Fern of Collinsville, Okla., one daughter, Theresa McGuire and husband William of Kellyville, one step-son, Robert Johnson and wife Tana of Weatherford, Okla; grandchildren include Kevin and Steven McGuire; Jim, Donald, and Ronald Dean and David Collier; Michele White and Vicki Montgomery; 21 great-grandchildren and five great-great-grandchildren. He is also survived by a large extended family of nephews, nieces, cousins, friends and neighbors who loved him dearly. I believe the Lord recognizes goodness in each of us and that Cecil has gone on to his reward and to rejoin and continue his union with his beloved wife of 65 years. Goodbye, Dad, from us all.