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Kenneth John Gaal

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University of Arizona

Kenneth Gaal Obituary

Kenneth John Gaal, who was an instructor of mathematics and computer science at Yuba College for over 35 years, died February 5, 2015, at the home of his son, Dr. Karl Gaal, in Hermosa Beach, CA.

Born in San Francisco in 1939 of parents, Mabel and Stephen Gaal, Ken was the youngest of four brothers. The four brothers, Steve, Phil, Roger and Ken swam the Golden Gate with their father when Ken was about 13. The brothers also made many long bike trips up and down the state.

Kenneth went to Lincoln High School in San Francisco, received a B.S. from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, an M.S. in Mathematics from the University of Arizona in Tucson and an M.S. in Computer Science from Chico State.

Ken and his wife, Phyllis Gaal, served two years as mathematics instructors at the University of Nigeria as Peace Corps volunteers from 1963 to 1965.

An avid runner, Ken completed the Western States 100 mile run in 19.5 hours. He completed the Bishop Ultra Marathon many times. He was a very active member of a local running group.

In retirement, Ken devoted many days as a back-up guide for the Sutter Buttes Regional Trust, formerly known as Middle Mountain. He guided school children during the week and adults on the weekends.

Ken also hiked the John Muir trail many times.

Ken is survived by his wife, Phyllis; his brothers, Steve, Phil (Marilyn) and Roger (Anita); his daughter, Collette Zemitis (Cedrik); son, Dr. Karl Gaal (Irina); and grandchildren, Alex and Amy Gaal.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.

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Published by Appeal Democrat on Feb. 11, 2015.

Memories and Condolences
for Kenneth Gaal

33 Entries

Amir Mohammadiadl

February 19, 2025

Ken was my math and computer science at Yuba College. He thought me how to be good in math and being a better person. He thought me how learn from my mistakes. I was very lucky to have him as a teacher and a friend.

Steven Frisch

February 5, 2025

I'm glad to leave a hug here for Ken. It was good going up Mt Shasta with him or sitting in his office and having good conversations.

Lauren E Klein

February 5, 2025

I still miss you Ken. Yuba has changed in so many ways. Thanks for thinking of starting the Hard Math Cafe' and all you did to provide such support to our students. And thanks for the many fantastic runs we did together. You, of course, having to slow down for me. We had so much fun together. Humble and talented that was you!
Your friend and colleague.
Lauren Syda

Steven Frisch

December 1, 2024

Wow! I wanted to look up Ken and find him today, but am very surprised to discover that he passed away 8 years ago! We went up mt Shasta together and I've had so many good conversations with him! He was the first one to solve a difficult math problem from Columbia university that I knew about for years! I like to go back and jog on the grass at Yuba College thinking of him and Steve Klein.

Lauren Syda/Klein

February 6, 2022

Ken,
My friend and mentor, think of you so often. Remembering you doing cartwheels on our beach. A true colleague and a super friend.

Steve Klein

February 5, 2022

I think of Ken almost daily and still love to tell "Ken Gaal Stories". He was one of a kind!

Jason Schweitzer

February 5, 2022

7 years and still a touch of sadness that I can´t call Ken. I always knew he´d answer. I always knew he´d have his shoes ready. One of the great hopes I have for heaven is an eternity of hanging out with loved ones. If it was such a joy to be with Ken here on earth, I can only imagine what it will be like in the perfection of eternity.

Mike Buzbee

February 5, 2021

There is hardly a day that goes by that I do not think of Ken. Whether it be a run together, a hike or backpack together, a Buttes hike, or seeing/greeting one another at our regular Saturday runs. It was always interesting to see how Ken would be dressed! WE MISS HIM!

July 22, 2015

Ken was my Calculus and also Fortran instructor at Yuba College. He is one of my favorite instructors ever, and was an inspiration during long hours of homework. His work on the Terak was very helpful to our classes.

Young Kim

March 28, 2015

My older brother and I had real pleasure and honor to have the opportunity to hike John Muir trail with Mr. Gaal and his son Dr. Karl Gaal in 2004. It was the first real serious backpacking hike for me and my older brother who struggled the earlier portion of the trip. We climbed half doom together and swimmed together while having a break. We sensed how gentle and kind Kenneth was at the very beginning of our backpacking trip. We enjoyed the hike very much and we still talk about the hike. When I go to hiking, I often think about Kenneth and how marvelous he was.

February 17, 2015

He was so humble and caring and precious....I just thought people like him lived forever. He taught me calculus AND physics. When I had problems with physics I went to Mr. Gaal. He would always start by saying..."Well, I don't know...but if you...." And then he would proceed to derive equations and explain mechanics to me in plain language - all in his free time.

I went on to get a bachelors degree in civil engineering and got my license as a professional engineer. I was a struggling mother of two and I thank Steve and Lauren and Ken (God love him) for having the patience and passion to educate me and propel my career to heights I never thought I would reach.

I cannot imagine the pain his wife and family is feeling. Such a kind and gentle man.

God Bless you Mr. Gaal.

Pat Kelley

Steve Thompson

February 16, 2015

I attended Yuba College in the early 80's as an engineering student. Ken had the challenge of teaching us calculus, differential equations, and Fortran computer programming. He was very good at what he did. He would bring it down to things we could relate to, like calculating mosquito density with integral equations! Those years at Yuba were the best of my college education and instructors like Ken made it that way! My condolences to his family.

Raquel Lopez

February 15, 2015

I have some of the most memorable moments from Mr. Gaal's class. I took his second semester of Calculus back in 2002 and now that I am a math professor myself, I remember how fun it was to take math from him. He is one of the reasons why I became a math major. He was always happy and willing to help, pen and paper on hand. His smile and love for mathematics and teaching and serving students was contagious. A few months ago I would remember how much he loved teaching and how much he smiled as he taught, and these memories give me motivation when I am feeling frustrated with students. Before I heard these sad news, I was vividly remembering his smile last week. You will be in our hearts forever. Especially I will remember to smile when I teach math, no matter what. Thank you Mr. Gaal for instilling in me the passion and love for math. When I teach math, I will always remember to smile, like you did. To all the Gaal Family, I am very sorry and sad for a such a big loss my heart and support are with you.

Jason Schweitzer

February 14, 2015

Ken was my Calculus and programming teacher, my running partner for two years, my friend throughout, and an inspiration. I ran my first marathon, just him and I, on July 4th, 1994 on part of the Western States Course. I remember sneaking into someone's front yard with him and drinking from their water hose; we were so thirsty! We ran many others together over the next year until I joined the Marine Corps. In 2008 I decided to run another and called Ken. Despite knee issues, he trained with me for six months and ran the race with me...six marathons completed, all with Ken Gaal.
When I was with him, it felt as if I was the only person in the world who mattered to him at that time. I was honored to have my children meet and know the man who most influenced me in college...and was still a close friend despite a 13 year gap.
Just last fall I started exchanging emails with him about hiking the JMT, something I plan to do with my son this summer. He was full of excitement and hope he could see us out on the trail...despite the battle he was fighting even at that time. He was forever optimistic , upbeat, and happy. Even after a nasty spill running Spring Valley Road he would finish the run, bloodied and bruised...but with a happy smile of contentment having overcome.
I do not particularly love running. But I LOVED running with Ken Gaal. He showed me the joys of companionship on the trail...lessons I have carried on with all my running buddies since and currently.
You lived life well, Ken. You loved and cared for others more than yourself. Thank you for the time we had together...and thank you Phyllis for sharing him with us.

Mike Buzbee

February 14, 2015

My remembrances of Ken are many as I have known him for 40 years. When I first moved to the area, I wondered what I had gotten myself into! It wasn't long after that I met a "runner" named Ken Gaal. Little did I know at the time what a wonderful, beautiful, and phenomenal man his was! I have come to realize over the years that I consider him to be one of the top handful of people who have influenced my life! A true friend, we shared many a moment while running, racing, talking mathematics, hiking, backpacking, skiing, bicycling, swimming, and more. My condolences to his wife Phyllis and family for their great loss. A humble man who knew how to get the most out of life and help others do the same. This man had no enemies, only friends. A role model unknowingly to many of us, I wish to be like him when I grow up.

Joseph Krause

February 14, 2015

I took 3 semesters of calculus and 2 semesters of programming from Ken in the mid 80s he is the main reason I chose mathematics as a major and became a college instructor. His enthusiasm and quirkiness were infectious. Thanks Ken peace.

William (Bill) Frederickson

February 14, 2015

Mr Gaal was one of my favorite instructors.
Fun learning with him.
He would teach us math in programming class and programming in math class.
He would show us all sorts of things that may not have bee on the current subject or coming up in another lecture.

My Deepest condolences

Paul Coates

February 13, 2015

I was a student of Ken's back in the early 90's and I vividly remember his enthusiasm and zest for every subject he thought. Unfortunately those traits were lost (and maybe even ridiculed) on a 18-19 yr old student but are greatly appreciated by a 40+ year old engineer. Were it not for Ken taking a summer out of his life to let me take Calculus II (for the second time) from him, I am absolutely convinced that I would not be an engineer today. Godspeed Ken and may my words bring some amount of comfort to your family.

Amir Mohammadiadl

February 13, 2015

I am sorry to hear such a bad news. He was one of the nicest, most knowledgeable, freinliest professors I have ever had.

Gurnam Basra

February 13, 2015

I am one of Ken's Student. He was my teacher in calculus, Fortran, and Pascal in late 80s. I still remember him dressing up formerly when teaching the integral theorem in calculus. He took such passion in teaching. I also use to see him jog front of our house all of time and when he saw me he always waived. He was an amazing and inspirational soul. I am very humble to have met such an extraordinary person. May god bless your soul. My condolences to your family.

Steve Klein

February 13, 2015

Very sad to see such a wonderful person go. My condolences to Phyllis, Karl and Collette. Ken was a great friend who I met the day I started teaching at Yuba College. We had offices next to each other for the last 25 years of Ken's 35-year career there. We shared a lot of common interests and ended up together in innumerable activities and contests over those years. He was always enthusiastic, upbeat and generous. He had amazing talents but always remained humble. All who knew him have tales to tell of his endurance exploits (running, biking, hiking, skiing, mountain climbing, etc.) and I have stored away perhaps 50 of my favorite Ken Gaal stories. He was equally amazing in the time and effort he would put into interesting mathematics problems for the dual purpose of satisfying his curiosity and peeling away the confusion that students would normally have on such problems. I can't resist telling at least one Ken Gaal story, which pretty well reveals his character. Though I was considerably younger, Ken was a way better runner than I ever was. Still he was willing run with me and we would have long discussions...when I could breath. At the end of one particularity long hard run he said "thanks Steve that was a tough run....I'll just go jog a little more to cool-down". I later found out from someone who saw him that he actually had run another 10 miles but at a much faster pace.
He will be missed but I will always enjoy thinking about him and the things he did.

Judy Gilmer

February 13, 2015

I am sorry to hear of the passing of Ken. He was my Linear Algebra and Fortran teacher in the 90's. One of my favorite memories of Ken was how he would announce to the class while returning exams, "A number of you got 100% (or over 95%, or something similar). Then he would pause and remind us that ZERO is a number. I loved his sense of humor and his passion for OUR learning. My prayers are with his family - for comfort and memories that bring joy, to replace the pain of loss.

Trinity and Jeffrey Counts (Dawson)

February 13, 2015

I am sorry to here about Ken. Both my husband and I took classes from him at Yuba College and I enjoyed them so much. He made math feel more alive because he seemed like he found so much wonder in the subject himself. Him and the other math teachers at Yuba were my inspiration to become a math teacher myself. He will be missed but well remembered and loved.

James Morgan

February 13, 2015

I am a math professor today because of Ken. I had the chance to go to Yuba College on two different occasions, first to make my way through a four-year degree, and then ten years later in order to find myself. I found math. It was Ken who said, unflinchingly, "Yes!" when I asked him if I could do what he did someday. He was also such a running mentor - he assisted coaching when John Orognen was head coach at Yuba, but I always ran with Ken. When I returned all those years later I still had a season of eligibility for cross country, and there was Ken assisting then coach Vogt. We ran the San Francisco marathon together in 1998. Ken, you were kind, always positive with a smile for everyone, and I thank you for your impact on my life.

Bill Frink

February 12, 2015

Ken will be missed. I remember Ken well when I was an up-and-coming junior tennis player in Yuba City and my only goal was to beat ken. And it never happened. It should have happened but he ran every ball down like a gazelle. And he taught me the classic lesson of he who gets the last ball over the net wins. And he did it with grace and humbleness. He was a great man and will be missed.

February 12, 2015

We are sorry to learn of the passing of Kenneth, but grateful for his service to our nation with the Peace Corps in Nigeria.

Our Condolences,
The National Peace Corps Association

Jim Christensen

February 12, 2015

I can't believe one of my role models are gone. There are very few teachers who we remember even though they help shape our minds but Ken is one I can never forget. Thank for everything you did for me and the smiles and for being patient when "I just didn't get it".

Kevin Putman

February 11, 2015

I'm shocked to see this in the paper. I was a student of Ken Gaal in the 80s. I was terrified of the calculus class that I was in, but he disarmed it completely for me. Such an amazingly bright man. And a sense of humor, too. ha! I can recall him trying to give us a sense of the concept of infinity: he was drawing on the chalkboard, and he continued on...onto the wall with the line he was drawing. I never forgot that little thing. He was a treasure of an educator. And I could see that there was a really good guy there outside of that. My condolences to his family.

Mike Galligan

February 11, 2015

I'm sorry to hear the news about Ken. He was a great teacher at Yuba College and later on a great friend to chat with at various running races. Always upbeat with encouraging words. He truly will be missed.

William (Bill) Frederickson

February 11, 2015

Mr Gaal was a dear friend I wish to sen my late condolences to the family.
He insisted we call him Ken, not Mr Gaal.

He Will be missed.
I remember learning math in programming class
and programming in math class.
He was that way.
We would show you really cool things that weren't even what you were working on.
Thanks Ken !

Janet Baur

February 11, 2015

Dear Phyllis, My sincere condolences in the loss of your husband. I only met him a couple of times but in reading about his life, you will have many happy memories which hopefully will help you through these sad times.

Richard Rosal

February 11, 2015

Mr. Gaal was my Calculus and Differential Equations teacher many years ago. I can remember the last time I spoke to him several months ago at Starbucks but little did I know that would be the last time I would speak to him. Such a wonderful man who will be missed by many. My sincere condolences to his family.

Duckworth-Handy Susan

February 10, 2015

I have such fond memories of Mr. Gaal. He always had a smile on his face and was so positive. He was such a great role model. He always seemed to have that balance in life that we all strive for. He will be missed. My thoughts and prayers are with all of you.

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