Gayle Galvin (Ledbetter)

life story

Creative soul with a green thumb

“A flower blossoms for its own joy”

Oscar Wilde

About Gayle

Gayle Louise Galvin (Ledbetter), 71, of North St. Paul, Minnesota passed away March 3, 2021 with her family by her side.

She was born to the late James and Roma Ledbetter on February 11, 1950 in Atlanta, Georgia. A mischievous and curious girl, she moved around a lot as a kid before her parents landed in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Gayle graduated from Edina High school in 1968, going on to study art and art history at Drake University and Arizona State University.

She married her high school sweetheart, Daniel Galvin in 1972. The couple had many adventures together, including farming in Virginia, before settling in the Merriam Park neighborhood of Saint Paul. There they raised three children. In 1996 they built their dream home in Hugo, where they lived for 18 years.

Gayle was an avid thrifter and furniture flipper before it was in-style. Much to her children’s dismay, practically any castoff furniture found on the side of the road can squeeze in the back of a Ford Escort hatchback if you try hard enough. She was an artistic soul: working in floral design, sewing all of her kids Halloween costumes, making jewelry, drawing, painting, and playing in the dirt (gardening.) She had an obsession with pens, notepads, little containers, and storage bins. She had an extensive vocabulary, an abundance of useless or little known facts, and the brightest blue eyes you ever saw. She loved Asian food, margaritas, and chocolate cake.

Gayle is survived by her loving husband, Daniel, her children Jessica (Dale) Weiman, Daniel (Kara) Galvin, John (Katie) Galvin, and her sister Margaret Ledbetter. She is also survived by ten grandchildren, Luca, Milo, Theo, Enzo, Julian, Harper, Zack, Matt, Ben, and Rebekah. She will also be greatly missed by her sidekick, a wiener dog named Buster.

A celebration of life - likely including margaritas and chocolate cake - will be scheduled this summer.

memorial service

Funeral/Cremation Provider: Crescent Tide Cremation Services