Paul Richard Gale

Paul Richard Gale, 81, of Freeport, Illinois, passed away after a brief illness on September 28, 2026, in Freeport.

Paul was born on November 5, 1944, in Clinton, Iowa, the son of Ralph and Dorothy (Miller) Gale. He was raised in Savanna, Illinois, and graduated from Savanna High School. In 1974, he earned a Bachelor of Science in journalism from Northern Illinois University.

Paul built a long career as a reporter and editor at Midwestern publications, including the Edwardsville Intelligencer, the Alton Telegraph, the Belleville News-Democrat, and the Daily Gazette in Sterling, where he worked until his retirement. At the Daily Gazette, he was known for a weekly opinion column that found meaning and humor in subjects ranging from family pets and holidays to history and current events.

His interest in local history also led him to write Prison on the Prairie in 2007, a history of the former Savanna Army Depot.

Paul lived in Edwardsville for many years while raising his daughter, Carrie, with Cindy (Ritchie) Reinhardt before returning to northern Illinois, where he met his beloved wife, Jo Anne. Paul and Jo Anne were married on June 6, 1999, in Sterling.

An enthusiastic fisherman, Paul loved being on the Mississippi River and the Intracoastal Waterway near Bradenton, Florida. He and Jo Anne spent many winters in Bradenton with close friends at Mt. Vernon and Jo Anne’s sister, Linda Fazio. Their grandchildren treasured visits with Grandma and Grandpa in Florida, especially boat trips to sandbars and dockside restaurants in and around Bradenton and Anna Maria Island.

After returning to Freeport several years ago, Paul and Jo Anne enjoyed time with Tom and Jo Anne’s sisters, Cindy and Penny, fishing on the Mississippi and traveling to Wilmette to see their grandchildren, Cecilia, William and Evelyn.

Paul loved watching sports, especially his St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Bears. Over the years, he pursued many interests as an avid collector and hobbyist, including postage stamps, baseball cards and model train sets. He was an enthusiastic reader of books across all genres and followed politics closely, both on television and in print.

Paul is survived by his wife, Jo Anne (Smith) Gale; his daughter, Carrie (Gale) Fowler, and her husband, Steve Fowler, of Wilmette; his stepson, Thomas Kavadas of Freeport; his grandchildren, Cecilia, William and Evelyn Fowler; his sister, Joan Wilson of Decatur, Georgia; his nieces, Saasha and Sarah Wilson of Decatur Georgia and his sisters-in-law, Linda (Smith) Fazio, Cindy Smith, Penny Smith and Sue (Smith) Fredrick. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ralph and Dorothy (Miller) Gale of Galva, Illinois.

A celebration of Paul’s life will be held at Burke-Tubbs Funeral Home in Freeport on Thursday November 5, 2026, from 1-3 PM on, what would have been his 82nd birthday. A memorial has been established for St. Jude’s Children Hospital in Mr. Gale’s memory.