Mary Elizabeth Gamble

Mary Elizabeth Gamble passed peacefully to the next life on April 11, 2025 at the age of 94. The big 95th birthday celebration being planned for this summer has been cancelled. While we are disappointed not to celebrate this milestone, we know that she was ready to leave this life and has accomplished her New Years resolution for 2025!

Mary was born on July 8,1930 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She was part of the Duke family and the fifth of eight children who lived to adulthood. Her parents were Hubert Duke and Maydell Bivens. On October 23,1947 she married Roy Gamble, another Tulsan. They eventually celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary – an event accomplished by one-tenth of one percent of all married couples.

Growing up in a large family, Mary learned the value of hard work and was always busy and organized. She was very detail-oriented and known for always having a “to-do list” at hand. She was active in civic clubs for many years, often in leadership roles, and regularly participated as a model in civic fashion shows due to her 5’7” height and beauty. In her eighties she was still playing golf and was recognized for her one and only “hole-in-one” at the Bookcliff Country Club. She played Bridge her entire adult life and into her nineties was beating us regularly at board games.

While accomplished in many areas, where Mary was exemplary was in her role as the matriarch of our family. While in Tulsa, Roy and Mary started their family, eventually consisting of Carol Lake, Debbie Hendrickson, Mark Gamble and Barb Sieczkowski. Today that family has grown to include 11 grandchildren and 12 great-grands living in Colorado, Arizona, California and Utah with various additional in-laws and step-children. Spread all over the west, we have regularly held an annual family reunion for the last fifty years, most often with a 100% attendance rate.

Our mother, Mary, taught us best through her example. As a wife, after living her entire life in Tulsa, she supported Roy through moves to Houston, Colorado Springs and Grand Junction for employment opportunities. We learned through her that we could thrive anywhere we chose to do so. Her devotion to our dad, during many years of debilitating Parkinson’s disease, taught us the value of endurance and commitment. As a mother, she raised us to be independent and responsible, as she was, herself. And the top priority for us always, was family, with her leading the way. As a grandmother, with all but two grandchildren living in other states, she made a tremendous effort, as Grandmommy, to remember every occasion, making and giving meaningful gifts and attending every important event in their lives. Her most appreciated love language was FOOD. Whether serving Biscuits and Gravy or Grasshopper Pie she could feed a crowd and make it look easy. As soon as one meal finished she was planning the next.

We will miss her positive example and unlimited love and support. We will miss her Oklahoma accent and strong opinions. We will miss her leadership in our family. We will miss her, but know that she has earned a peaceful rest. The family is grateful to the staff of Capellas Grand Junction for making her last years so comfortable, She constantly bragged about how good the food was and coming from her that was a great compliment!

The family will be gathering for a memorial and tribute on Tuesday, April 22 at 10 am at the Callahan-Edfast Mortuary.