In Memory of Gayle

Gayle was family for a very long time. Our kids never knew a time when she was not part of our lives—and she was a presence so many times when it counted. We have such strong and fond memories of her comforting Laura on the way to and from the cemetery for Bill’s funeral. She was there for our daughter’s bat mitzvah and our son’s bar mitzvah, and she was a constant source of support for all of us during Lily’s last years.

When Gayle was enthusiastic about something, she was all in! Whether it was her music, jewelry making, collection-building, metal detecting, medical understanding, organic food, activism, and ultimately, the long-desired move to Vermont, she was all in. She never did anything half-way.

Gayle was generous beyond measure to her friends and family. Any hint of an interest in something resulted in an unexpected package arriving at the door! It could have been her beautiful jewelry, a particular food item, or a special soap—the slightest hint meant that a package was on the way. She wanted to keep all of us safe. How many of our cars were kept free from deer collisions thanks to the deer whistles she installed without asking?

Gayle was family to us for more than half of our lives. It was unbelievable that she was not there to comfort all of us when she died so unexpectedly. We include her name every year in our congregation’s Yizkor booklet, along with the names of our four parents, and we mourn her passing as we celebrate her intense and passionate life.

From Roberta Berner and Richard Abel