May 10, 1950 – February 18, 2023
Roger L. Gales, 72, of Bedford, passed away at 2:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 18, 2023, at his residence.
Born May 10, 1950, in Uniontown, PA, he was the son of Lester G. Gales and Wilma C. (Adams) Gales-Geiger. He married Susan Kern on June 8, 1996, and she survives.
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.
In 1986, he moved to Bedford and became the youth and music pastor at the Bedford Free Methodist Church from 1986-1991. He 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. He served as worship director at the Bedford First Baptist Church from 1999-2003. His life-long 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.
Survivors include his wife, Susan, of Bedford; children, Chris Gales and wife, Amy of Bloomington, Rachel Gales of Indianapolis, Katy Holmes and husband, Zac of Logansport, Bethany Bell and husband, Chris of Bedford, and Jordan Morris and wife, Mindy of Bedford; the mother of his children, Linda B. Gales; ten grandchildren, Ryan and Evan Gales, Calvin and Abigail Holmes, Michael Bell (Summer), Cierra Ashley (Skylar), Hannah Bell, Bennett, Beau, and Knight Morris; three great-grandchildren, Avery and Dallas Ashley and Harper King; a sister, Linda Zurick (Lee) of Rochester, NY; a brother, David Gales (Kathy) of FL; a brother-in-law, Dennis Hancock of Ohio. several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Karen (Gales) Hancock.
Funeral services will be conducted at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 26th at the BNL Performing Arts Center with Pastors Tim Thompson, Eric Kennedy, Jordan Morris, and Jon Lineback officiating. Visitation will be from 2:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 25th at Sherwood Oaks Christian Church in Bedford and from 11:00 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.
Family and friends may express condolences at www.daycarter.com.
