Person Page

     Dorothy Hilton Bean was born on 16 March 1924 in Berkeley, Alameda County, California. She was the daughter of Milo Walter Bean and Mabel Margaret O'Bryan. Dorothy announced her engagement to Lieut. Charles F. Gaine, Jr. in the Oakland Tribune, Oakland, Alameda County, California on 8 January 1944. Before the wedding ever took place, Charlie very sadly was killed in the war overseas.^1,2 After Charlie's untimely death, Dorothy became closer to her brother Alfred's friend, another young and handsome Lieutenant in the Navy, Byron Theodore Johnson, and they married on 10 August 1946 at Berkeley, Alameda County, California. They were married for 51 years. Dorothy died at home on 5 November 1997 in Glendale, Los Angeles County, California, at age 73; after a long battle with uterine cancer which first appeared in 1994.³
     
Click here to see a cute photo of the Bean kids circa 1928 in the Bean family backyard at 5815 Presley Way in Oakland, California, the house where they all grew up. Barbara is about 13, Al about 11, Margaret about 8, and Dorothy looks to be about 4.

The family took a trip to Washington, DC in 1929 which was quite exciting for the kids, as well as Milo and Mabel. We grandchildren remember it as "the famous trip to Washington," and were told about it often. This is a photo taken of the family while there: Milo was 51, Mabel was 40, Alfred 12, Dororthy 5, Margaret 9. and Barbara was 14.

Dorothy and Byron moved circa 1950 to Glendale, Los Angeles County, California. They spent 40-some years in their snug house in a pretty area of Glendale.²

Each year, for many years, the family spent a month during the summer at the small resort community of Twain Harte situated on a mountain lake in the Sierra Nevada, in the vicinity of Yosemite. Dor and Byron enjoyed trips to Hawaii too, and they also had a couple of wonderful trips to Japan which they made by invitation of the Japanese men Byron had mentored through his job at Getty Oil Company.^4,2

Some of Kerry's Memories of her Aunt Dorothy

Dor was a wonderful pianist with nice big hands that could cover more than an octave with no problem. I'll never forget her playing my favorite, Bach's Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring, which she always did when she saw me. When I was about 4 she and her friend Jean, and Mom (I always remember their bobby socks and brown and white saddle shoes!) would come home from classes at Berkeley, especially the chorus rehearsals, and they would perform for me -- I learned all the words to Dido and Anenas at a very young age! She was a lot of fun and had a wicked sense of humor with a dead-pan sarcasm like the rest of the Bean family. She was always wonderful to me and especially so when I was a little girl -- my favorite aunt.

They often babysat Warren, Gail and me when we were young and our family lived up in the Oakland Hills, while Dor and Byron were still living in Oakland or Berkeley -- I remember us all sitting in a long line with Byron at the rear, each scratching the next person's back -- and they would both let us "do" their hair which must have been quite painful at times considering the age and expertise of the hair stylists (all under about 10 years old).

Dor and Byron loved music and I remember well Byron playing his cello accompanied by Dorothy on the piano, giving us delightful mini concerts back in the 1940s, 50s and 60s. They loved all the good guys, Bach, Beethoven and Mozart to name a few, as well as operas; I remember Puccini was a favorite. They were also big readers and, in particular, fans of mysteries.

Dorothy and Byron longed to have children of their own and I know how thrilled they were when each of their darling girls entered their lives: Ann, Martha and Cori.²

Dorothy's ashes were interred on 5 August 2008 at Willamette National Cemetery, 11800 SE Mt. Scott Boulevard, Portland, Clackamas or Multnomah County, Oregon. Her husband Byron's ashes were interred at this time with Dorothy's and their headstone reads, "In Loving Memory" with their names and dates.⁴

     Leland Armstrong Gale was born on 17 April 1913 in Oakland, Alameda County, California. He was the son of Leland I. Gale. Leland Armstrong Gale married Barbara Isabel Bean, daughter of Milo Walter Bean and Mabel Margaret O'Bryan, on 20 November 1936. Leland Armstrong Gale died on 8 December 1993 in Bend, Deschutes County, Oregon, at age 80 years, 7 months and 21 days.
     
During the years he was fighting Lou Gerhig's Disease, Uncle "Bud" wrote a collection of wonderful stories about his life and family, it is called "Gale's of Laughter."¹

     Leland Garvin Gale was born on 1 October 1937 in Woodland, Yolo County, California. He is the son of Leland Armstrong Gale and Barbara Isabel Bean.
     Since birth, Leland has been called Joe. Joe has a BS in Engineering from Oregon State University and lives in Idaho. He was married and divorced twice. Joe's partner of many years is Maxine Smolowitz.¹

     Judith Barbara Gale was born on 20 August 1939 in Woodland, Yolo County, California. She is the daughter of Leland Armstrong Gale and Barbara Isabel Bean. Judy married William John Creane on 25 August 1962 at the home of Fanny Gale, Chabot Road, Oakland, Alameda County, California. Judy's cousin, Kerry Davis (compiler of this genealogy), was her Maid of Honor at the small family wedding which was held in the charming, early 1900s home of Judy's grandmother, her father Bud's mother, Fanny (aka Mummer). The Gale house was right around the corner from Kerry and Judy's other grandparents, parents of their mothers, Margaret and Barbara, Mabel and Milo Bean who lived on Presley Way. It was a lot of fun and lovely to have most of our Gale/Bean grandparents, parents, siblings and cousins there.¹ Judy and Bill were divorced many years later on 27 January 1995 at California.
     Judy has a BS Degree from the University of Oregon (1961). She worked in Payroll Management mostly at Shaklee Corporation in San Francisco from 1981 through 2000 as Payroll Manager and Accounts Payable Manager. From 2001 until her retirement in 2007, Judy worked in the Finance Department at the City of Mill Valley.

Judy, and Bill, too, of course, spawned quite a lovely group of children and grandchildren -- Judy got them all in one spot for a photo and it can be viewed here!^2,3

     John Gregg Gale was born on 5 September 1946 in Woodland, Yolo County, California. He is the son of Leland Armstrong Gale and Barbara Isabel Bean. John married Pamela K. Rogers on 2 July 1972.
     Dr. John has BS, Masters & PhD degrees in Engineering from Oregon State Univeristy.¹

     William John Creane was born on 17 July 1936 in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Bill married Judith Barbara Gale, daughter of Leland Armstrong Gale and Barbara Isabel Bean, on 25 August 1962 at the home of Fanny Gale, Chabot Road, Oakland, Alameda County, California. Judy's cousin, Kerry Davis (compiler of this genealogy), was her Maid of Honor at the small family wedding which was held in the charming, early 1900s home of Judy's grandmother, her father Bud's mother, Fanny (aka Mummer). The Gale house was right around the corner from Kerry and Judy's other grandparents, parents of their mothers, Margaret and Barbara, Mabel and Milo Bean who lived on Presley Way. It was a lot of fun and lovely to have most of our Gale/Bean grandparents, parents, siblings and cousins there.¹ Judy and Bill were divorced many years later on 27 January 1995 at California.

     Brendan Michael Creane was born on 7 November 1965 in Bangor, Penobscot County, Maine. He is the son of William John Creane and Judith Barbara Gale. Brendan Michael Creane married Valerie Steinberg on 13 September 1997 in the Chapel at the Presidio, San Francisco, San Francisco County, California.¹
     Brendan has a Computer Engineering Degree from University of California at Santa Barbara, as well as a teaching degree from San Francisco State University. He taught school in San Francisco but more recently works as a software engineer in San Francisco's Riverbed Technology.¹

     Erin Gale Creane was born on 11 July 1970 in Manchester, Hartford County, Connecticut. She is the daughter of William John Creane and Judith Barbara Gale. Erin married Andrew Frank Schreck on 24 September 2005 at St. Helena Catholic Church, St. Helena, Sonoma County, California.¹
     Erin has a Business Administration Degree from University of San Francisco.

     Sean William Creane was born on 4 September 1971 in Springfield, Massachusetts. He is the son of William John Creane and Judith Barbara Gale. Sean William Creane married Michelle Andre on 22 September 2001 in Falkirk Cultrual Center, San Rafael, Marin County, California.¹
     Sean received a Communication/Business Administration Degree from St. Mary's College in Moraga, California. Currently he works at Infineon Raceway as a Regional Sales Director/Program Manager for Audi Driving Experience and Jimmy Russell Racing School.¹