Doris A. Gale

Doris A. Gale, of West Hartford, passed away on April 28, 2026 after a brief illness, with family by her side. She was 97. Born Doris Adrienne Boissonneault in New Bedford, Massachusetts, she moved to Hartford, Connecticut where she graduated from Hartford Public High School. After World War II, she met and married her husband, John J. Gale, a sergeant in the Army Air Corp and raised a family of six children.

Doris was the quintessential mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Raised as a single child (until the age of 13) she always dreamed of having a large family. She welcomed each baby– one son and five daughters, into a post-war world of hope and prosperity. Sunday roasts, homemade cookies and pies, and dancing in the living room were staples of her life as a young mother and wife.

After moving from Hartford to New Jersey in 1970, Doris found employment at Montclair State College as the secretary to the Sociology Department. There she began taking college classes on her lunch hour, eventually earning her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology at the age of 58. She endeared herself to the faculty and continued to ‘run’ the department with such efficiency and good cheer that upon her retirement, her successor was told “she had some pretty big shoes to fill.”

Upon the death of her husband, Doris returned to her roots in Hartford in 2003, where she reconnected with her Connecticut friends and family.

A life-long knitter, Doris showered her numerous grandchildren with baby sweaters and hats and knitted them afghans to take to college. Arthritis pain didn’t stop her from knitting a whole new generation of baby sweaters when her great-grandchildren arrived on the scene. She showed her love through her craft.

Doris was a devoted wife, a loving mother, supportive parent, proud grandmother and great-grandmother and delightful friend to all who knew her. She was predeceased by her husband, John J. Gale, her daughter Deborah Tirico, and son-in-law Frank Tirico. She is survived by her brother, Donald Bergeron (June), son, John Q. Gale (Tracy), daughters, Cynthia Arruda (Bruce), Carol Gale (DJ Horn), Janet Aaronson (Rande), Robin Keil (Gordon), 16 grandchildren, 20 great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. She was proud of the enormous family she created and considered herself “the luckiest person in the world.” She was surrounded with love, care and respect throughout her life right up to her last day.

She will be missed.

Calling hours will be Saturday, May 2 from 4-7 p.m. at the D’Esopo Funeral Chapel, 277 Folly Brook Blvd., Wethersfield with a service on Sunday at D’Esopo at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to her favorite charity: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105. To share a memory of Doris, please visit www.desopofuneralchapel.com