Gayle Ponche (Gayle, nee Quance ) passed away on June 27, 2018 with her family at hand. She is survived by Sister Phyllis Quance, Brother James Quance, her children Kenneth Ponche (Rowen Martinez), Sandra P. Beitz (Richard), Thomas Ponche (Diane) Daniel Ponche ( Rob Goggin), 12 grand children and 13 great grand children. She was preceded in death by her husband George Ponche and daughter-in law Julie Ponche (nee Nolan). Born on June 23, 1932 she was the daughter of Henry Warren Quance and Margaret Kathleen Wilson of Chicago.

As a child in Chicago, Gayle was the feisty one in the Quance household. Sister Phyllis recalls her coming into this world kicking and screaming. A high school beauty queen and cheerleader, she was also a prankster with a love of life and George, the baseball team’s pitcher who later became her husband of 47 years. As a devoted wife and mother she raised four children later working several full-time jobs to help educate them all. She helped move the household several times with George’s career to Fort Lauderdale, Saint Louis, Pittsburgh and back to Chicago. She and George were very close sharing just about everything except their political viewpoints. Their votes cancelled each other out every time. When it came time for retirement, Gayle and George moved to Lake Sherwood Missouri.

Gayle was a people person with a talented and creative group of friends with varying interests. She made friends easily and shared compassionately with them along with others less fortunate than she. She worked tirelessly to help the homeless while living in Pittsburgh and always pitched in when anyone needed help. She enjoyed a variety of interests including sketching, gardening, cooking, sewing, and reading and was very talented at anything she tried.

Gayle will be missed by her family and those whose lives she touched and will be remembered always as someone “who could always eat” particularly if it featured sweets.