In Loving Memory of Gayle Harry “Mike” Ramey. 

Gayle Harry “Mike” Ramey, 89, passed away peacefully on August 31, 2026, in Temecula, California. He leaves behind a life filled with adventure, determination, love, travel, and a remarkable career that took him across the United States and around the world.

Gayle was born Gail Harrison Lare on November 6, 1936, at St. Mary’s Hospital in Walla Walla, Washington, to Bernice June “Bea” Roff and Harrison Earl Lare. His childhood was anything but ordinary. Because his stepfather, Hal Leslie Ramey, worked in construction, Gayle and his sister, Janice, attended schools in numerous communities, including Walla Walla, Paine, Chelan, Bridgeport, Umatilla, and Rogers in Spokane, before Gayle graduated from Sandpoint, Idaho, in 1955.

Just four days after graduation, Gayle joined the United States Navy, serving for four years before his discharge in 1959. His Navy years took him to Oklahoma, San Diego, Memphis, and aboard the aircraft carrier Ticonderoga, traveling to places including Hong Kong, Manila, Hawaii, and Japan.

After leaving the Navy, Gayle briefly worked construction with Hal at Priest Rapids Dam before deciding that construction was not for him. Drawing on his Navy training, he joined General Electric, beginning a long and distinguished career in electronics and engineering. His work took him to Syracuse, New York; Clear, Alaska, where he spent two years working on a ballistic early-warning system; and eventually Wiesbaden, Germany.

It was during this chapter of his life that Gayle met the love of his life, Marianne Anita Christa Pannenberg, at a restaurant in 1962. Nine months later, they were married on May 3, 1963. Their marriage would last 49 years, until Marianne’s passing in 2012. Together, they built a life filled with moves, adventures, challenges, and countless memories.

Gayle's career continued to take him around the country and overseas. He worked as a field engineer and later moved into management, eventually becoming a Regional Manager with General Electric's Medical Systems division. His career brought him to California, where he and Marianne ultimately settled in Temecula—a location that placed him conveniently in the middle of the territory he managed.

Gayle had a wonderful ability to tell his own life story with humor and honesty. From freezing temperatures and 80-mile-per-hour winds in North Dakota to assignments in Germany and Alaska, he embraced the unexpected twists and turns that came his way. His life was a testament to perseverance, curiosity, hard work, and never being afraid to take the next step.

He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 49 years, Marianne Anita Christa Ramey; his sister, Janice Kae Gascon; his parents, Harrison Lare, Bernice Roff, and Hal Ramey; and his niece, Debra Kay Davis.

Gayle is survived by his sister, Sandra Davis of La Grande; his nephew, Jeffrey Davis of La Grande; and his dear friend, Robert Tally, and his family, who held a special place in his life.

Gayle leaves behind more than a list of accomplishments and places traveled. He leaves stories, memories, friendships, and a life that was uniquely his own. His journey was long, adventurous, sometimes unconventional, and always memorable. 

He will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by all who had the privilege of knowing him.