Gale Richard Jensen
Gale, or Ted as he was called by his parents, relatives, and playmates, was born in Oakland, California, June 1, 1930. His parents were Ira Miller Jensen & Mida Richards. His sister, “Baby” Jensen, was born in 1925 and died the same day. So, for all intents and purposes he was raised as an only child in El Cerrito, California. In 1939, Gale/Ted’s first paying job at age 9 was washing used glass medicine bottles in a drug store after school & Saturdays for 50 cents a week. He was eventually promoted to be a soda-jerk. His next job was “Hawking” newspapers on a street corner in Richmond, California. Gale eventually delivered newspapers to customer homes. He became a golf caddy for the Mira Vista Country Club throughout his high school years. Upon graduating from El Cerrito High School in 1949, he worked as a “Stock Boy” for two different grocery stores. Gale’s uncle got him a job at the Santa Fe Railroad shops in Richmond, CA as a machinist apprentice. While repairing Santa Fe RR tugboats he got the bug to go to sea on Standard Oil tanker ships.
In 1947, while still in high school and with his parents written permission, he joined the United States Marine Corps Active Reserves. One early morning in July 1950 he sailed for Wake Island on an oil tanker. Later that morning, he received a telegram from the Marine Corps to report to Treasure Island as he was being activated because of the Korean War. He arrived in Korea around the end of March 1951. After 9 months with a rifle company, he was transferred to Regimental Intelligence for his last 4 months in Korea.
Arriving home from the Korean War, Gale became active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and at the age of 26 he served a 38-month mission to Denmark. Returning home, he married Diana Madsen in the Los Angeles Temple. After graduating from BYU in 1961 he taught 7th to 10th graders History, Geography, and English in Sunnymead, California next to the March Air Force Base, he also worked at Disneyland during summer and Christmas vacations for 4 years. Growing tired of the smog, he applied for and obtained a teaching position with Chico Unified School District in northern California. He and his family settled in Paradise, CA in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. For 40 years, Gale served in many & various church callings for both his Ward and Stake. In 1994, he and Diana divorced, and soon after, he retired from teaching. During his last 10 years of teaching, he also worked as a night watchman and dock hand at a Lime Saddle Marina.
In 2004, Gale moved to Tooele, Utah and served in the Salt Lake Temple and as a Host in the Church Conference Center. In 2008, he married LaDee Eastland in the Mount Timpanogos Temple. They served as ordinance workers in the Ogden Temple until 2013. They loved Paradise, California and maintained a condo there for a few years.
Gale’s 4 children and 7 grandchildren are: Mark Jensen (deceased) and his wife Diana (deceased) and their twin girls, Alexa (deceased) and Brenna of Durham, CA. Eric Jensen and his wife Sharon and children, Colton and Jaiden of Tooele, Utah, Andrew Jensen and his wife Shirlene and their children: Parker, Kennady, and Jocelyn of Tooele, Utah, Gale’s daughter: Donetta Marie Jensen (a romance suspense novelist) of Star, Idaho. He has 3 stepchildren: Russ Eastland of New York City, Ron Eastland (deceased), and Lisa Cushman of Ball Ground, GA; 6 step grandchildren, and 12 step great- grandchildren.
A viewing will begin at 9:30am at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located at 2915 West 4425 South in Roy, Utah. The funeral will be at 11:00 am at the church. Graveside military service and burial will be at the Brigham City, Utah Cemetery at 2:00pm. Condolences may be sent to the family at www. myers-mortuary.com.