A Celebration of Life Service to honor the life and legacy of Gale Stark, age 72, of Jackson, will be held Friday, April 24th, at 11:00 AM at Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Jackson. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery in Jackson.

A visitation for Gale will be held on Thursday, April 23rd, from 4:00 to 6:00 PM at the LaCanne Family Celebration of Life Center in Jackson. Visitation will continue on Friday at Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Jackson for one hour prior to the service. The service will be livestreamed on the Our Saviors Lutheran Church Facebook page.

Gale Jerome Stark was born on March 21, 1954, in Slayton, Minnesota, to Gailord and Donna Dell (Priebe) Stark. He was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith at Trinity Lutheran Church in Slayton. He graduated from Slayton High School in 1972 and went on to earn a degree in Automotive Sales and Service from Pipestone Area Vocational Technical Institute in 1973.

On August 14, 1976, Gale was united in marriage to Julie Sandhurst at Immanuel Lutheran Church in rural Fulda, Minnesota. Together, they were blessed with two daughters, Sarah and Jessica.

Gale began his career working at NAPA Automotive and John Deere Implement in Slayton. In 1986, he moved his family to Jackson, Minnesota where he continued to work at the local CarQuest Automotive, John Deere Implement, and later AgChem (AGCO). In 2016, he began a new chapter with West (Cotiviti), retiring in March 2026.

Gale had a deep appreciation for history, automotive repair, and the skills of gunsmithing and ammunition reloading. He also enjoyed reading nonfiction biographies and military history, spending time with friends over coffee, great conversation, and, most of all, being with his family, especially attending his grandchildren's activities.

A dedicated member of his community, Gale volunteered for 20 years with the Jackson Fire Department and Ambulance Service, where he later served as a CPR Instructor. He was a member of Our Savior's Lutheran Church, where he was a past member of the church council.

Gale passed away peacefully on Saturday, April 18th, 2026, at Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Gale is survived by his loving wife, Julie; his daughters, Sarah (Mark) Hendrickson and Jessica (Kayle) Pauling; and his grandchildren, Lauren and Parker Hendrickson, and Amelia, Kade, and Lynden Pauling. He is also survived by his brother, Garland (Lila) Stark; his brother-in-law, Gary (Betty) Sandhurst; his mother-in-law, Fannie Sandhurst; his sisters-in-law, Mary Stark and Karla (Stark) Benda; as well as many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Gailord and Donna Dell Stark; his brothers, Gayland and Gregory Stark; and father-in-law, Harold Sandhurst.