Gale Franklin Strother, 91, of Crystal City died Dec. 10, 2025, at Mercy Hospital Jefferson in Crystal City. Mr. Strother served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War on the Northampton CLC-1, the flagship for Command Strike Force, Atlantic. As a fire control technician (FTA3), he was in control of the advanced electronic systems, including radars and weapon computers that aimed and fired the onboard weapons. He was awarded the National Defense Service Medal and the Navy Occupation Service Medal. He studied at William Jewell College and later received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He was among the first wave of electronic specialists trained on IBM business mainframe computers. After working as the vice president of Rand McNally, he founded and ran Strother Associates Inc. In his retirement, he enjoyed civic involvement, tinkering and going on RV trips and traveling internationally. Born Sept. 1, 1934, near California, Mo., he was the son of the late Blanche (Wood) and George Hamilton Strother.
He was preceded in death by his wife: Faye (Ogle) Mains Strother; and his former wife: Betty (Bland) Strother
He is survived by three children: Shannon Leigh (Bob) Morgan of Brooksville, Fla., Keller Bruce (Sonja Schoenwald) Strother of Moraga, Calif., and Kristal Anna (Jimmy) Otto of Trinity, Fla.; three stepchildren: Connie (Randy) Besore of Festus, Susan (Rex) Wright of Festus and John (Deneen) Mains of Festus; two sisters: Elizabeth “Betty” (the late Keith B.) Vinyard of Festus and Barbara (the late Roy) Osbourn of Melbourne, Fla.; a brother: Greg (Paula) Strother of Salem, Ill.; a sister-in-law: Terie (the late Leland) Ogle of Atlanta, Ga.; four grandchildren: Lindsay (Ben Smith) Morgan, Sterling (Natasha Feshbach) Strother, Mackenzie (Blake) Hanson and Tyler (Amaris) Dulleck; seven step-grandchildren: Rachel (Danny) Harness, Travis Besore, Valerie (Clayton) Springman, Torrie Wright, Rex Wright, Ryan Wright and Derek (Jaimie) Mains; six great-grandchildren: Zachary Patterson, Bradley Patterson, Lacey Morgan, Timothy Morgan, Wesley Morgan and Everly Morgan; step-great-grandchildren: Ashton Boyer, Reese Boyer, Liliana Talarico, Sereniti Besore Earls, Bennett Mains; Riley Springman, Abram Springman, Adric Springman and one more on the way; and two close friends: Betty Weible and Kim Alexander.
He also was preceded in death by two brothers: Garland (Connie of Vandalia) Strother and George Edgar Ellsworth Strother; a son-in-law: David G. Anderson; and two step-grandsons: Robert Mains and Jake (Rachel survives of Affton) Besore.
Visitation is scheduled from 11 a.m. until services at 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20, at Vinyard Funeral Home, 616 W. Main St., in Festus, officiated by Pastor Justin Metiva of Good News Community Church. Interment with full military honors will follow in Rose Lawn Memorial Gardens in Crystal City. Memorials may be made to the food pantry of First United Methodist Church of Festus/Crystal City. Arrangements are under the direction of Vinyard Funeral Home.