Sybil Bale

Sybil Bale, longtime resident of Las Mochas, New Mexico, passed away Thursday, October 29, 2015 in Houston, Texas. Sybil was born in Clovis, New Mexico on May 7, 1920 to Ira J. Gilliland and wife, Cordelia Haynes Gilliland. After graduating from Clovis High School, she attended Eastern New Mexico University. In 1940, she worked in Washington, D.C. for the War Production Board in Export Control. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, she returned to New Mexico and served five (5) counties of Eastern New Mexico for the Selective Service System where she met the love of her life, Edward Bale, they were married on November 1, 1952. Sybil was always an active participant in the Episcopal Church, from teaching Women’s Bible Studies or children’s Sunday School, directing choirs, playing the organ, to the Altar Guild, she served the Lord wherever she was needed. She was active in both the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas and the Episcopal Diocese of the Rio Grande.

At the request of the Bishop, she organized the Women of the Diocese of the Rio Grande. A very active member of the St. James Episcopal Church in Taos, New Mexico, she still found time to work with the Head Start Program in Vadito, New Mexico. Sybil loved the Rocky Mountains of her native New Mexico where she gardened, painted, and took care of an ever growing community of hummingbirds.

Together, She and Ed enjoyed traveling the world and showing their granddaughters the beauty of the Southwest United States during summer vacations. In 2009, they moved to Houston to be near family.

Sybil is survived by her husband, Edward L. Bale, Jr.; son, Charles Bale; daughter, Katherine Burghard and husband, John; granddaughter, Elizabeth Domino and husband, Marcus; granddaughter, Andrea Barr and husband Chris; greatgrandchildren, Charlotte Eikenhorst and Maxwell Domino; great grandson, Tristan Barr (due in February), and several nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends around the globe. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the M’Lisa Bale Scholarship Fund c/o Janet Steele, 1109 Sagebrush Trail SE, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87123.