Humans of LifeWeb: Gale & Ed
by Rebecca Aizin
Part of the Humans of LifeWeb series
Before spending nearly 50 years together, raising two children and making a huge move from their home state of New York to Arizona, 19 year old Gale met Ed on a blind date - sort of.
Ed and Gale on their wedding day.
She was fixed up with his best friend but when they went to the fraternity party they were all attending Ed caught her attention and, before she knew it, the best friend was forgotten and she fell under Ed’s spell. She was drawn to his big beautiful eyes, smile and warmth.
Soon after, Ed was drafted into the Army Reserves, but before he left for duty, Ed asked Gale if he could write letters to her while he was away. The answer was yes, and through those letters, the two fell in love! He came home from the Reserves in November, and the following December they were married.
They moved to Arizona less than 2 years later, ready to start their new lives. Both were active, working out together regularly in the gym and on the racquetball courts. They started two businesses together and over the years, they became each other’s best friend.
“Even through our most difficult times, we always had a super deep love for each other,” Gale said.
Gale and Ed’s favorite activity to do together was travel. The two travelled across the world from the beaches in Australia to climbing the Great Wall in China and the ruins in Machu Picchu, Peru. However, the vacation that sticks out the most for Gale is their trip to South Africa and going on the Safari. While there, they explored Capetown, Johannesburg, but also went off the tourist map to visit the local village of Simonga. As an amateur photographer, Gale loved taking pictures of the African wildlife, but the best part of the trip was the visit to the villages, where they received special permission from the Elder to come explore.
"Ed was in his glory connecting with the adults and talking about life"
“Where I was just in my glory with the children following me around and taking photos of them, which they were able to view on my camera, Ed was in his glory connecting with the adults and talking about life,” Gale said. “He was extremely personable and down to earth - you could be a gas station attendant or a CEO of a company, it made no difference to him: you were a person.”
Ed and Gale with their dog.
That was the kind of person Ed was. Seemingly tough on the exterior, he had a big heart that was felt by all who knew him. He was the one to cry at movies when him and Gale would go to the theater.
When Ed was mad at Gale, he would call her by her middle name, Leslie, and that’s when friends knew she was in trouble. Whenever there was a full moon, Gale would go outside, crank up the song “Dancing in the Moonlight” and dance.
“It doesn’t matter where I am, I’ll do it. It drove him crazy!” Gale said. “I’m still doing it now for him, knowing he’s watching me. I think a part of him was secretly entertained by it.”
Ed was the kind of husband who went above and beyond to surprise Gale and make her happy. For her 40th birthday, Ed found a publisher for a book Gale was working on and surprised her with getting the book published. Then, for her 50th birthday, Ed surprised Gale with a trip to Greece, flying from New York to Paris on the Concorde where the flight attendants wore white gloves serving champagne and caviar.
Toward the end of his life, Gale sat by his bedside for two days before Ed passed. In the Jewish tradition, it is a custom to open the window when one passes to let their soul fly free. Gale followed these instructions and watched Ed go.
"Grief is a process that never ends - it changes form. The more you love someone, the more it hurts"
“Grief is a process that never ends - it changes form. The more you love someone, the more it hurts,” Gale said. “As difficult as it was to watch Ed take his last breath it was an honor to be able to walk with him through that door.”