Gale Hoekstra Hagen

After being diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer on December 27, 2016, Gale died September 8, 2017. She was born January 21, 1958, attended Aroma Park Elementary School, Kankakee East Junior High, Kankakee East Ridge High School, Central College, Pella, Iowa, and Western Theological Seminary (Masters of Religious Education). During high school, Gale was in Chamber Choir that toured Europe and Rome, was in school musicals, and was a cheerleader.

During Gale's last year in Seminary, she was introduced to Frederick Hagen by mutual friends, Wade and Karen Hamilton. Gale moved to Seattle, WA for a 1982 summer clinical pastoral internship, which allowed Fred and Gale to get to know each other. They were engaged in September 1982, and married June 11, 1983 at the First Reformed Church, Wichert, IL.

Gale worked as Director of Religious Education at Wedgwood Presbyterian Church, while having her three sons, Nate, Aaron, and Eric. During 1993-4, the family lived for a year in Denmark where Gale was a member of the American Women and International Women in Denmark, playing tennis and organizing family vacations. Returning to Seattle, Gale became increasingly involved in Icogen/Icogenex, first in simple accounting input, then full accounting, human resource director, and eventually Chief Operating Officer of Icogenex BioIncubator.

First and foremost in Gale's life were her personal relationships, as a mother to her three sons, a wife, a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a relative, and friends to untold number of people. Gale excelled and was a leader in all her walks of life. Gale had a beautiful contralto voice and very much enjoyed soloing, singing in small groups, and in the Concert Choir at University Presbyterian Church, which was a major cornerstone of her life. Gale loved her tennis and her tennis gals at the Seattle Tennis Club. Her USTA tennis team was one step short of Nationals in 2016 and she was captain of her USTA team at the time of her diagnosis. Her work as COO of Icogenex BioIncubator was a work of beauty, helping to incubate over 60 biotech startup companies from 2002 to present. The years were very good to Gale, she only became more and more competent, beautiful, and loving as the years went by. She was a most beloved person in all the groups of which she was a part.

Gale is survived by her husband, Frederick S. Hagen, sons Aaron (Candace) Hagen and Frederick Stamner "Eric" Hagen II, her mother, Darlene Hoekstra, her sister, Vicki (Nick) Lambesis, her brothers, Alan (Sue) Hoekstra and Randy (Lori) Hoekstra, a niece, numerous nephews, and many other relatives and friends. She was preceded in death by her father Donald Lee Hoekstra, her son Nathaniel Frederick Hagen, and her grandparents.

The memorial to celebrate Gale's life will be at University Presbyterian Church at 1:00 p.m., Monday, September 18, 2017 and reception after the memorial at the church.

Memorials may be made to Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (pancan.org) or University Presbyterian Church Choir Fund.

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