Alphonse Gawle

Alphonse “Al” Gawle passed away peacefully, with his daughters by his side, on February 14, 2025. He was 103 years old. Al was born in Webster, MA on June 17, 1921, to Peter Gawle and Anna (Lainz) Gawle. He was one of 12 surviving children and was the last one to pass away. He told many stories about his childhood and teenage years, but the most memorable were of working in his parent’s restaurant, Point Breeze, on Webster Lake (also known as Lake Chargoggagoggmanchaugagoggchaubunagungamaugg). Al joined the military and served in the Navy from 11/1/1939-12/13/1945 with honors. He was stationed on the USS Amycus in the Lingayen Gulf during WWII. After the Navy, Al earned a law degree at Northeastern University and eventually moved to Seattle, WA and found employment at Boeing. There he met Colleen, and they married on November 13, 1965. They had two daughters, Macrina (Shirley) and Diana. The family enjoyed many a camping trip and Al brought both daughters on fishing trips, a hobby he had enjoyed since childhood. Al’s career at Boeing spanned almost 30 years and he retired in 1986 from his final position as a contract negotiator for Boeing airplanes, traveling the world over selling them to the likes of Richard Branson, Saudi princes, and a fleet of hydrofoil boats to Japan, among many others. He and Colleen were active members of Haller Lake United Methodist Church until they moved to Port Townsend, WA in 2016. With friends and members of their church community they enjoyed going on trailer trips and attending Spring Training for the Mariner’s. Al also enjoyed spending time with his five grandchildren and particularly loved to teach them to cook his family recipes. In his final years, Al enjoyed many walks around his Towne Point neighborhood with his faithful dog Booster and chatting with neighbors. Al was surrounded by loved ones in his final days, and remained independent and active until the end. He was laid to rest with military honors. He is survived by his wife, two daughters and five grandchildren. Al was an inspiration to many and will be missed greatly. A celebration of life will be planned this summer at Haller Lake United Methodist Church in Seattle, WA. In lieu of flowers, the family requests commemorations for Al to be directed to Jefferson Healthcare Hospice or the Hospice Foundation who supported him and his family beautifully at the end of his journey.