Gale Agnes George

Gale was born Gale Agnes Baisden on January 21, 1960 in Trinidad W I from the union of Daphne and Ferdinand Baisden. She peacefully left us in the flesh on Wednesday, February 27, 2013, but remains with us in our thoughts and hearts.

Gale was raised by a very closely knitted family in a household which included her maternal grandparents, parents, three uncles and two aunts. Additionally, there was always the presence of other cousins and extended family members around to bond with. As kids Gale and I grew up as sisters, but as we grew older our bond became one of a sister, mother/daughter and friend relationship.

She attended South Oropouche Gov't School and then went on to Fyzabad Intermediate School. On December 26th 1977, Gale migrated from Trinidad to New York and graduated from South Shore High School in Brooklyn. Her graduation gift was a vacation to Vancouver to visit with her uncle and cousins Donna, Deidre and Bevy. When she came back to New York her entire plans had changed from attending college in the US to returning to Vancouver to attend school. She worked for a couple of years, saved her money and then no one could have convinced her to stay in the US, not knowing that she had fallen in love. Although it was very painful for the family, we knew that love means freedom. The scripture at Hosea 6:6 says: "for in loving kindness I have taken delight, and not in sacrifice, and in the knowledge of God rather than in whole burnt offerings". So as God takes delight in our kindness and the fact that we know him, and not in our sacrifices, by reluctantly allowing her to leave New York for Vancouver was a sacrifice we made out of love for her. As the cliche' goes "miss me but let me go".

With that being said she left as a pure innocent butterfly anxious to get a taste of the world on her own. We eventually discovered there was a magnet in Vancouver on to which she would cling for a good 36 years of her life. As her first and only love, Ernest George and Gale fell in love and from my knowledge, they have been inseparable since then with Megan the product of this union. Gale loved Vancouver with her whole heart and soul. She worked very hard, maybe too hard but she enjoyed her work very much. From our conversations she loved the people she worked with in a genuine way. She loved her co-workers and all the many, friends she bonded with at Millue Family Services where she worked for 21 years and Pacific Coast for 12 years as a devoted employee. She would say to me that they lived like a family. When we spoke on the phone it was always about her job and her social life. She developed a passion for cooking and entertaining in Vancouver and with the many wonderful friends she had, she gave the impression that she was happy for the most part and never complained.

The family would like Gale to be remembered for whom she was - a decent, caring, loving, thoughtful and very genuine person. I must say that she left but did not forget where she came from. She always remembered to call, or send a card to members of the immediate family. She always asked about other extended family members and about her childhood friends and about the neighbors from the village where she was raised, out of love and concern. Gale was a reserved person because she was raised to respect other people's privacy and she projected this in the manner which she interacted with others. Gale was a friend to all and an enemy to none. She was always ready to give a helping hand to anyone who needed it and was able to face life's successes and adversities with equal equanimity. Gale will be greatly missed.