We lost the brightest light we've ever known on January 19, 2025 when Gayla Jean Lindquist passed away suddenly at Avista Hospital. She was a superstar; had more friends than anyone; could make everyone smile with her generous heart, loving spirit and infectious laugh. Gayla lit up ever y room she entered and was dearly loved by her family, friends, students, co-teachers, staff, and eventually those at the memory care facility where she lived her final days. She will be missed more than words can express.
Gayla was born in Denver, Colorado on October 23, 1943 to William and Kitty McRae. She graduated from South High School and went to the University of Colorado, Boulder, where she was a cheerleader and the president of the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority.
She and her husband Pete met at CU but did not start dating until after they graduated. In fact, after just a few dates Gayla went home and wrote, "I will marry Pete Lindquist" on a piece of paper. And she did!
Pete and Gayla lived in New York City for three years, where Gayla was a Pan Am stewardess and later a teacher.
They got married in 1967 and returned to Colorado in 1969, eventually landing in Boulder. Gayla spent much of her career as a teacher at Fair view, where she was also a counselor, coach, and sponsor of many student activities. She couldn't make it through King Soopers or down the Pearl Street Mall without being stopped several times by students wanting to talk to her. She left teaching in 1987 to move into administration, eventually becoming the principal of Centennial Middle School and in 1996 was honored to become the principal who opened Monarch K-8 in Louisville. Gayla retired from the Boulder Valley School District in 1999 after a fulfilling career that touched countless lives.
Gayla was an avid runner and tennis player. She frequently placed first in her age group in the Bolder Boulder and loved running with the Boulder Road Runners. In tennis, she was also number one in her division in Colorado for two years.
But Gayla's career and sports successes tell only a sliver of the story. She was an incredible wife and mom to her husband, Pete, and children, Brooke and Robb. The house was filled with love, mutual respect, fun, and trust. The family has countless memories of joyful connection, family vacations, and inside jokes. Brooke and Robb never doubted for a second that they were the most well-loved children on the planet.
After she retired, Gayla and Pete vacationed for several years in Kauai. Gayla also took language lessons in Costa Rica, went on a volunteer trip to save the baby turtles in Costa Rica, volunteered as a Park Ranger in Boulder, served as a Victim's Advocate in Boulder's District Attorney's office, and went on an African Safari. She played tennis and golf with her many friends, loved her book group, and treasured ever y moment of her life.
Gayla was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2019, but the family started seeing signs of memory loss as early as 2012. For one year she was in the Day Program at Balfour's Cherrywood Village, where she spent the final year of her life as a resident.
Gayla is survived by her husband of 57 years, Pete, her children Brooke and Robb, and grandchildren Marin and Holden, as well as several nieces and nephews. There will be a Celebration of Life later this spring. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Alzheimer's Association. www.alz.org