Gale Blomstrom

1953 - 2024

Gale Blomstrom

April 16, 1953 - January 23, 2024

Olympia, Puert Rico - Gale Blomstrom was born in Berkeley California on April 16 1953 to Roy and Shirley Forster Blomstrom. She passed away on January 23 2024 during a tragic snorkeling accident in Puerto Rico. Gale grew up El Cerrito California. She was the first female student awarded the Outstanding Student of the Year award at Del Mar Elementary School in El Cerrito. She attended Portola Junior High School and graduated from El Cerrito High School in 1971. She attended Cal State University at Chico and the University of Idaho, where she received a degree in natural resource management.

Her career was spent working for a few years at the Washington Department of Game in Washington, trapping mountain goats in the Olympic Mountains and releasing them in eastern Washington, and sampling critters on the Hanford Reservation. She then transferred to the Washington State Department of Ecology in Olympia where she had a long career as a supervisor for water resource management. She retired at the age of 55 with 30 years of public service.

Gale married her husband Greg Sorlie in 2008 while on a trip to Bhutan, although they had been a couple for the prior 18 years. She became stepmother to Greg's two children with lots of Christmases, Thanksgivings, birthdays and vacations together.

Gale loved the outdoors. The mountains called to her. Growing up, the Blomstrom family took multiple trips per year to Camp 43 on the Stanislaus National Forest just outside of Yosemite in Gales early years and then in her teens to Trinity Lake for water skiing. Her father and brother were professional foresters, and her mother a lab technician, so she was destined for a life of protecting the environment. She loved hiking and camping and traveling. She was on the Board of Directors of the local Audubon Society, became a Master Gardener, and ran a marathon.With her husband Greg, she traveled to over 50 countries, sometimes with close friends and sometimes with groups.

Three passions dominated much of her time, tennis, singing and reading. She played tennis at least twice a week with a group of several women friends. In 2006 she was the Washington State woman's tennis champion at the senior games. She was an alto in two choirs, and while never wanting to solo, she loved the connection of being part of a group that created wonderful music with them. She read at least a book a week (mostly literature and fiction, although occasionally Greg coaxed her into non-fiction, history and current events). She belonged to two book clubs, each meeting once a week for potluck and wine and camaraderie. Sometimes they even talked about books. For Gale it was a strong connection with other wild women.

For 30 years she faithfully attended the Shakespeare Festival in Ashland Oregon, rendezvousing for several days with her mother and brother (also a Greg) and his wife Debby. Husband Greg also came along in the later years.

Gale could be described as sometimes being quiet and reserved, especially in large groups. But around close friends she was perky. She delighted in preparing and eating dinners with several friends and wine of course (only Chardonnay!). In retirement, Gale and Greg often reminded themselves of how lucky they were that they had resources to travel, a great group of friends, and were in relatively good health.

She had a wonderful full life, although it was cut much too short. Not a day goes by that her family and friends don't remember her smiling face and her gentle nature. People say she was the definition of kindness, and her connection with friends and family was the focal point of her life. She leaves behind her husband Greg Sorlie, her step children Nicolas Sorlie and Jennifer Sorlie, and her brother Greg Blomstrom and his wife Debby Harrison, and a large circle of very close knit friends.

Sometime this spring there will be a Celebration of Life gathering with family and friends and acquaintances, hopefully when the sun is shining and we have blue sky and flowers blooming, Gale would prefer that. If you feel compelled to make a donation, please consider some of Gale's favorite organizations. She supported: Planned Parenthood, Black Hills Audubon, Nisqually and Capitol Land Trusts, NPR, and KNKX public radio.