Leland Gale

After losing my loved one to Alzheimer's, I knew I couldn't just stand by. I wanted to honor their memory in a way that would make a difference. That's why I joined the fight to end this devastating disease by creating this tribute page in their name. By

Leland Gale left for heaven on May 6, 2026. He was born on June 29, 1955, in San Franciso, CA. Leland spent much of his childhood in Tecumseh, OK and then Edmond, OK. Leland was preceded in death by his parents Darrell and Darlene McBride and a sister Dalina Reynolds. He will be greatly missed by his two sisters and a brother… Vicky Webster (Joe) of Moore, OK; Teresa Kennemer (Tim) of Luther, OK; and Rick Gale (Jennifer) of Hawkinsville, GA and many nieces and nephews. Leland started his work experience very young as a paper boy and catching crawdads for the local bait store. He learned the value of hard work, and it would be an attribute of his throughout his life. Leland was active in the Boy Scouts for many years and was one badge away from becoming an Eagle Scout when he decided to pursue sports in school instead. Leland enjoyed wrestling, playing football and running hurdles in high school. He graduated from Edmond Memorial High School in 1974. That same year he joined the United States Air Force. He proudly served as a Sheet Metal Mechanic on F-4 Phantom Fighter jets at George Air Force Base in Victorville, CA and at Spangdahlem Air Force Base in Spangdahlem, Germany. After the Air Force, Leland attended college at the University of Central Oklahoma where he met the love of his life, Heidi Winters. They quickly fell in love and married eight months later on May 12, 1984, in Edmond, OK. Leland graduated with honors from UCO in May 1986. He accepted a Safety Consultant position with Wausau Insurance Company in Dallas, TX. It was during this time that he received his Certified Safety Professional (CSP) designation. In 1999, Leland also received his B.S. in Organizational Management from John Brown University. Leland furthered his career in safety with Liberty Mutual Insurance, Missouri Employer’s Mutual Insurance and Nationwide Insurance. Leland loved his career in safety and consulted for over 30 years. He and Heidi lived in five states throughout his career…Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas. In 1989, Leland and Heidi welcomed a daughter, Katelyn and in 1993, a son, Rylan. Leland loved being a father and was always very loving, available and involved. He spent a lot of time playing with his kids and coaching all their sports including soccer, football, softball and baseball. His greatest joy in life was being a father and grandfather. Leland was active in church from a young age and was baptized when he was ten years old. Over the years, he and Heidi taught several Sunday school classes and led several Bible studies. They also belonged to numerous home teams. Leland loved studying the Bible and learning about Jesus throughout his life and always had a hunger to learn more. Leland loved music and had a vast collection of all different genres of music. He especially loved 60’s, 70’s and 80’s rock and jazz. Leland was very knowledgeable and had the ability to recall the name and artist of almost any song from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. Leland was always fun-loving and had a way of making light of and seeing the humor in almost any situation. He loved sports especially soccer, football, snow skiing, water skiing, running and yoga. Leland and Heidi shared a love of exercise and being active and motivated each other throughout the years. At 55 years old, Leland became a yoga instructor and enjoyed teaching yoga for over ten years. Leland always loved a good project and was a very talented woodworker. He could also build or fix anything. Over the years, he and Heidi did many projects together. Heidi mostly had the ideas, and Leland brought the muscle! He also loved doing many projects with friends. Leland was kind and caring and loved helping others. He was also a faithful and loyal husband and friend. Leland and Heidi shared a beautiful, deep, abiding love for one another and loved doing life together for over 42 years. Leland’s greatest legacy is his daughter Katelyn (Ben) of Springfield, GA; his son Rylan (Cherakee) of Wichita, KS and his nine treasured grandchildren Aliyah, Gage, Tre’, Brantley, Ky’Ran, Chesney, Arabella, Baja and Catalina. In lieu of flowers, a memorial has been set up with the Alzheimer’s Association.