JOSEPH GAL

GAL--Joseph.

Joseph James "Joe" Gal, age 82, died Thursday, April 20, 2017 peacefully at home, surrounded by his family, after a years-long struggle with Lewy Body Dementia. He was the husband of Antonine Hess "Toni" Gal. Joe attended the United States Military Academy at West Point and after two years he transferred to Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he completed a BS in electrical engineering in 1958. In 1960 he earned his MBA at Harvard Business School. During his years in Boston, he met his future wife, Toni (Wellesley, class of 1962), and they married in the fall of 1962. Joe's career demonstrated his focused interest in technology and his business acumen. He began his professional life at Raytheon Company and then moved to White Weld and Company in New York. Subsequently, he joined others to found Interactive Data Corporation in Waltham, Massachusetts and moved with his family to Beverly Farms, Massachusetts. Following his knack for identifying upcoming opportunities in the technology industry, he joined the venture capital arm of Lehman Brothers, but soon went into venture capital on his own. During his retirement, he continued to manage a technology-focused portfolio, allowing him to continue to pursue his passion for the growing industry. Joe was a craftsman who maintained a fully-outfitted woodworking shop in his basement, which produced bowls, carvings, and small pieces of furniture. He was also a voracious reader. He read an astounding number of books during his lifetime, focused mostly on historical and business biographies. A passionate audiophile, Joe filled the house with classical music accompanied by his trademark whistle. Joe sailed actively for a number of years both as a cruiser and a racer and enjoyed the horses he kept at Ledyard Farm in Hamilton. An enthusiastic skier and mountaineer, he and Toni spent winters in Zurs, Austria. He was an anglophile and lived in London for a number of springs and autumns. All-the-while, he and his wife maintained their family home in Beverly Farms, Massachusetts, where they enjoyed visits with their children and grandchildren. Joe will be missed by family and friends who remember him as a curious and driven person who spoke intelligently and knowledgeably on a number of topics. His reserved nature kept him from indulging in small talk and forming casual friendships but those who knew him well shall remember him for his warmth, intelligence, and sincere devotion to the best interests of his family. His family thanks his devoted caregivers Marie, Giovania, Maria, Suly and Rachel for their years of attention and Care Dimensions for providing care and comfort during his final weeks. In addition to his wife he is survived by two sons, Jonathan Gal and his wife Angela of Provo, Utah, and Christian Gal and his wife Laura, of Princeton, MA; seven grandchildren, Benjamin, David, Katherine, Jennifer, Oscar, Clara, and Vivian; a sister, Rita Gal-Vetrano and her three sons, Joseph, Paul, and Jeffrey. A funeral service will be held Tuesday, June 27, 2017 in St. John's Episcopal Church, 705 Hale Street, Beverly Farms, MA at 11am. Arrangements are by the Campbell-Lee Moody Russell Funeral Home, 525 Cabot Street, Beverly, MA. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The John D. Stoeckle Center for Primary Care Innovation: http://www massgeneral.org/stoeckle center/support/. Information, directions, condolences at www.campbellfuneral.com