BEDFORD – The Lawrence County community is mourning the loss of former BNL Band Director and community leader Roger Gales.
Roger L. Gales, 72, of Bedford, passed away at 2 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2023, at his residence.
Gales became a music educator for North Lawrence Community Schools from 1995-2017, where he served as band director at the Bedford Middle School and as associate director of music and bands and music department chair at BNL, retiring in 2017.
Roger graduated from Greece Olympia High School in 1968 and Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester, NY, with a major in music and a minor in education, in 1972. He graduated from Asbury College with a Master of Arts and Administration degree. He then received a Master of Divinity degree from Asbury Theological Seminary. He was ordained by the Free Methodist Church in 1983 and served as youth and music pastor in Lawrence, KS from 1983-1986.
He served as worship director at the Bedford First Baptist Church from 1999-2003. His lifelong passion for tuning and repairing pianos was fulfilled in retirement with his full-time business, Roger Gales Piano Service, where he not only tuned and repaired pianos but completely restored numerous pianos throughout the region.
He was the former director of the Bedford Community Band from 2013-2019. He was a member of the Nostalgia Band, TAPS Across America, and Sons of the American Legion Gillen Post #33 where he served in the Honor Guard.
“The Sherwood Oaks Christian Church family is deeply saddened at the passing of Roger Gales. Roger served on our staff for 7 years, primarily at our Bedford campus. He will be greatly missed.”
Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 26 at the BNL Performing Arts Center with Pastors Tim Thompson, Eric Kennedy, Jordan Morris, and Jon Lineback officiating. Visitation will be from 2 p.m. until 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25 at Sherwood Oaks Christian Church in Bedford and from 11 a.m. until the hour of service on Sunday at the Performing Arts Center.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Roger L. Gales Music Excellence Scholarship.
