Gayle Georgia Albano

Gayle Georgia Feuerschwenger Albano was born in Chicago, Illinois, on February 11, 1935, to George & Florence Feuerschwenger. Two years later, she was joined by twin sisters, Georgene & Georgette, thus beginning years of her younger sisters borrowing her clothes, staring and giggling at her boyfriends, and following her everywhere. After attending Steinmetz High School in Chicago, Gayle joined the U.S. Air Force, where she met and married the love of her life, Donald “Al” Albano at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico and the two were affectionately known as “Donny and Gigi". This month marks 71 years of marriage, in which they have quite literally traveled the world together.

After the birth of their son, Tony, the young family moved to Johnson Air Base in Japan. This was the beginning of many great moves and even greater adventures for the Albano family. The birth of their daughter, Tracy, completed their family of four. The family moved to Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines where they would spend 10 years making lifelong friendships and memories. Gayle became known for her warmth and generosity, extending her love well beyond her tight-knit family.

Gayle’s career as the only chosen Estée Lauder representative on Clark Air Force Base, which was the largest overseas base at the time, began when she was selected to train in Hong Kong. She described the ladies as looking like high-fashion models, and the food as incredible. While living overseas, Gayle and Al flew to Hong Kong several times, where they enjoyed eating battered shrimp and drinking beer after spending their days shopping for one-of-a-kind art and furnishings.

The family’s move to Austin, TX, in 1976 marked the beginning of another cherished chapter in Gayle’s life. She was always the team mother, room mother, and favorite mother while raising a family. She made countless baked goods and crafts for her children’s teams, organizations, and later, weddings and baby showers. Her homemade pizza and pasta sauce, and tediously and lovingly crafted lumpia, a Filipino dish similar to egg rolls, were served during parties at their house. Her famous Christmas cookie trays, which she began baking in November and gifted to many family & friends, featured over a dozen different cookie varieties, all centered around a sweet bread and apricot-filled braided candy cane.

Gayle instilled in all of us a true sense of concern for family, creating the most valued memories for every holiday, birthday, and vacation. Her unique "Gayle" style and grace was always unparalleled in her hospitality, inviting so many family and friends into her home to shower them all with love. She would spend months curating her grandchildren's Christmas stockings, overflowing with individually wrapped gifts, joyfully watching them be opened together on the living room floor. At their annual Fourth of July parties, filled with food, games, and fireworks, she would hand out special trophies assuring everyone was awarded for his or her accomplishments.

Her four grandchildren adored her as much as she loved them, and it felt as though they could never spend enough time together. Every year was booked full with camping trips to Inks Lake, Port Aransas beach vacations, and Schlitterbahn three-day weekends. Time spent with her entire family always made for hilarious moments that we still laugh about today. From the playpen on the front of the pontoon boat to RV trips to the Grand Canyon, Carlsbad Caverns, and Colorado, it was in these tight quarters that wonderful lifelong memories were created with four buzzing grandchildren piled above the drivers seat gazing out the front window of the RV toward our next family adventure and grandma always beaming with her famous food and fabulousness!

Giving was in Gayle's genes, and she blessed all who had the good fortune to know her. She treated her friends like her family, and she never met a stranger. Her graciousness extended to all, including the ladies at her favorite local stores, bringing them gifts along with her nurse’s son and even giving her personal physician a makeover! That Estee Lauder representative never really retired! That was Gayle, always giving.

As lifelong Catholics, Al and Gayle joined St. Elizabeth's Catholic parish in 1980 and spent decades developing and deepening their faith and friendships within the church community. They embraced the many opportunities to contribute through various groups and events, such as weekly KJT pancake breakfasts and yearly hamburger booths at Deutschen Pfest. Gayle truly treasured her church friendships and always looked forward to their bus trips to gamble in Coushatta.

Gayle’s generosity and exuberant joy for life were only surpassed by her natural beauty inside and out. Her radiant smile outshone all, and her joyful laughter is what we will always cherish in fond memories of a beautiful soul. Heaven truly gained an angel.

Gayle is predeceased by her parents, George & Florence Feuerschwenger, her sisters, Georgette Feuerschwenger and Georgene Moore, her nephew, Michael Moore, and her brother-in-law, Bill Moore, of Chicago, Illinois. Her Aunt Helen Tefner McMahon, Uncle ‘Mac’ McMahon of Santa Maria, California. Grandfather, Jacob Tefner and Grandmother, Elizabeth Lorenz Tefner, Grandfather, Anton Feuerschwenger & Grandmother, Josephine Feuerschwenger Witt all of Chicago, Illinois.

Gayle is survived by her loving husband of 71 years, Donald “Al” Albano, son, Michael “Tony” Albano, both of Austin, Texas, daughter, Tracy Marcus of Georgetown, Texas, grandson’s Christopher Albano, of Houston, Texas and Steven Marcus, of New Braunfels, Texas, granddaughters, Melissa “Lisa” Albano of Liberty Hill, Texas and Ali Marcus of Austin, Texas, and last but never least, Nephew, Raymond Feuerschwenger of Waukegan, Illinois.

A Mass by their longtime friend and priest, Father Tom Frank, will be held at St Elizabeth’s Catholic Parish in Pflugerville, Texas on Tuesday, April 28, 2026 at 11:00 am to be followed by a luncheon hosted by the KJT in the adjacent parish hall.

Gayle’s family would like to extend sincere appreciation to Georgetown Rehabilitation & Transitional Care, Tranquility Hospice, Cook Walden Davis Funeral Home, all of Georgetown, Texas for their kindness and tender care of our beloved wife, mother, and grandmother.