- Date Of Birth: September 2, 1964
- Date Of Death: January 23, 2013
- State: Iowa
Mary Gales, age 48, of Seattle, Washington formerly of St. Joseph, Iowa died on Wednesday January 23, 2013. Mary Helen Gales, the daughter of Ernest M. and Helen S. (Bormann) Gales, was born on September 2, 1964, in Algona, Iowa. The fun-filled, energetic eighth child in a large and busy family, Mary grew into an adventurous, independent, determined, hard-working, creative, curious, and very caring person. Mary graduated from Bishop Garrigan High School in 1982. After graduating with honors from Marquette University’s challenging, condensed physical therapy program in 1986, Mary packed up a car and drove across the country to start a job as a physical therapist at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Seattle. It was during her four years in Seattle that Mary began her eager exploration of the outdoors with a large group of friends who enjoyed hiking, camping, skiing, mountain climbing (Mary eventually climbed Mount Rainier four times), and even scuba diving. Through her interactions with patients and health professionals, Mary learned about and developed an interest in the power of holistic healing methods. In 1992, Mary began a new chapter in her life when she moved to Ketchikan, Alaska, to work as a physical therapist for Health Focus in Ketchikan and for clinics in Wrangell and Metlakatla communities she visited regularly by float plane. Alaska opened up many more opportunities for adventure, including kayaking in the Inside Passage, and Mary embraced them. During this time Mary continued to learn more about healing—from her patients, from local healers, and from her own exploration of innovative, non-traditional methods. Many patients benefited from Mary’s knowledge and, as Mary’s reputation spread, more began to seek her help with physical and emotional issues. In 1994, Mary met Steve Rottler at a George Winston piano concert on a rainy evening in Ketchikan. Steve was working as a commercial fisherman and contractor in Petersburg, Alaska. The two were united in marriage on May 23, 1998, in Seattle and moved to that city. Mary established her own physical therapy practice and soon had a thriving business. She studied eastern healing techniques and earned a diploma in Asian bodywork therapy, which involves treatment of the human body, mind and spirit. Mary was truly a gifted healer, and her work helped many. Mary and Steve lived in downtown Seattle and enjoyed a full life. They appreciated good food and Mary became an accomplished cook. Their frequent travel adventures took them from British Columbia to the wine country in California to Mexico. In recent years Mary took up playing the cello, as well as painting and drawing. Steve fished commercially in Alaska each summer and Mary especially loved spending last summer fishing with him outside of Juneau on their boat with their black lab, Jacques II. Mary threw herself into the hard work of commercial fishing during this trip and also found joy exploring the coastline and visiting friends in the small fishing towns of Southeast Alaska. Mary and Steve owned property in Winthrop, a small town in eastern Washington, and built a second home, where Mary became an accomplished Nordic cross-country skier in the winter and in the summer enjoyed gardening, hiking, and river rafting. It was a special place for Mary to practice the cello, and also gave Steve and Mary a chance to regroup from their busy life in the city and Steve’s construction and fishing work in Alaska. Left to cherish Mary’s memory are her husband Steve; parents, Ernie and Helen Gales of St. Joseph; siblings, Steve and Elizabeth Gales of Mason City, Cecilia and Stephen House of New Brighton, Minn., Paul Gales and Patricia O’Donnell of Phoenix, Ariz., Dolores and Art Cullen of Storm Lake, Charles and Elizabeth Gales of Lancaster, Penn., Barbara and Dan Haag of Eau Claire, Wis., Carol Gales and Jim Dory of Nome, Alaska, and Therese Gales and Mark Gaertner of St. Paul, Minn; father-in-law, Donald Rottler and his wife Barb of Seattle, Wash.; brother-in-law, Andy Rottler and his wife Sandy of Seattle; and many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins. She was preceded in death by her brother, John Gales in infancy; sister, Mary Louise Gales in infancy; and mother-in-law, Dana Rottler.
