Born October 15, 1938 – Died Sunday Morning December 9, About 3:45AM Married to Sonya Peters, June 7, 1962 – 56 Years they have been together This is the picture of Gale Burnett and his wife Sonya his dear wife of 56 years. Gale is a native born of Graham County. His Mother was Deloris Moody Burnett and her mother was Maybell Cluff Moody of the Cluff Ranch fame and her dad was Bill Moody one of the Original owners of the goat ranch in the area.
Gale’s father was Benjamin Hartley Burnett a very noted and famous building plasterer of the area in the 20s through the 50s. He was such a noted building plasterer that many of the rich and famous who resided in adjoining 3 counties had Benjamin Burnett plaster their home. Indeed he was so fast that he could plaster the scratch coat of a 3 bedroom home inside and out in one day, the fastest plaster, that we know of in history Brother Earl, A Good Hair Clipper, Cut Gale’s Hair the Last Time November 27.
2018 @ 3:29 PM Gary’s House 3 Days Later @ 3:29 PM Safford Ambulance Takes Gale To Safford Hospital Sonya had came over to Gary’s house and she could not seem to locate Gale and his bathroom door was locked. Linda went over with Sonya as our inside door lock is the same and she unlocked the bathroom door and Gale was laying on floor unconscious. Apparently he had a severe stroke, and was unconscious so Linda called the ambulance which took him to the Safford hospital a later that evening was sent to Tucson Medical Center.
We got a call from Gwynn Meaker Sunday morning December 9, at about 3:30 AM telling us that Gale had passed away. Gale’s Life Story By His Brother Gary Burnett Gale went to school in Thatcher but graduated from Safford High Schoolhis senior year. Gale served a mission for his church and went to college in the Salt Lake area where he met his lovely wife Sonya Peters from South Dakota.
They fell in love with each other upon first meeting and married in the Salt Lake Temple. They have 3 children Gwynn Burnett Meaker, of Blaine Washington, Kevin Burnett of Safford and Kendall Burnett of Ferndale Washington. Happy 56th Anniversary to Gale and Sonya Burnett true pioneers of our wonderful Graham County Arizona.
Gale was baptized into the LDS church at about the age of 10. His Aunt Tiny Quinn tired to get him to join the church but Gale knew when she came over on that day, Gale would run out the back door. But one day around 1948 Aunt Tiny came to visit on July the 4th and it caught Gale off guard and she grabbed him by the ear and got him to be baptized on July the 4th and through the years he has always been grateful to his dear Aunt for corralling and getting him baptized on that memorial day, many years ago.
Gale started in the computer industry in 1964 and was a true pioneer in the early days of the trade. Gale would become CEO and the founder of 2different computer companies after working for IBM, Memorex, Litton Data, Caelus Memories and StorageTek. He is the holder of about 16 patents and the 2 companies he founded were traded on the New York Stock Exchange.
After many years of working in that industry he decided that he wanted to move back to his hometown. 5 years ago he had a custom home built on property that has been in the Burnett family for almost 50 years, which he traded from his brother Earl. Gale loves his dear wife and has enjoyed their companionship during these many years.
Some of his brothers followed Gale and moved back to the valley after many years working away from where they were born and raised. L/R Frank & Joyce Drena, Linda & Gary Burnett with the hat, Sonya & Gale Burnett Casa Mania Gary’s 77th Birthday June 27, 2018 Gale about 20 years ago or so made a presentation on the very same podium in England where Sir Isaac Newton stood in the mid 1600 and was a Matmatician, that brother Gale admired, and was the father of Math and Optics. Gale stood at the same podium and made a presentation about Advanced Optical Technology, which much of what he presented became world renowned and not known much until future technology had come to pass.
Isaac Newton 1642-1727 made the following remarks about the Bible which he was an avid follower of and quoted in the book: The Rebirth of America , Arthur DeMoss. p. 178-179 “God in the beginning formed matter in solid, massy, hard, impenetrable, movable particles, of such size and figures, and with such properties, and in such proportion to space, as most conduced to the end for which he formed them”. – – – “We account the Scripture of God to be the most sublime philosophy, I find more sure marks of authenticity in the Bible than in any profane history whatsoever… Worshipping God and the Lamb in the temple: God, for his benefaction in creating all things, and the Lamb, for benefaction in redeeming us with his blood” Gale was born and raised in Thatcher Arizona on October 15, 1938 and was the 7th child of Deloris Moody Burnett and Benjamin Hartley Burnett.
Two brothers and one sister had already died at a younger age. Their mother and father had a total of 12 children and as of December 10, 2018 there are only 5 children still living. William Earl Burnett, of New Mexico, Gary Dean Burnett of Safford, Darlene Plumb Burnett of Gilbert,Arizona, Marvin Neil Burnett of Provo Utah, and Lorene Gene Burnett of Mesa.
Gale loved his dad very much and one day he found out that his younger brother Gary was severely burned and would be in the Phoenix Crippled Children’s hospital for over six years. He heard his dad say how much money it was going to cost to care for his brother. Gale made the determination, based upon his dads hard work esthetics, that ye would not be a financial burden on his dad and as a young boy of 11 he got several jobs in bowling alleys, a butcher shops and a janitor.
He did his very best to make sure that he would not be a burden on his dad and strived to pay all his own bills at a very early age, while he lived with his loving Grandma, Julia Alice Richardson Burnett, 1/2 Cherokee Indian. Gale was selected as the Valedictorian of Thatcher High School as a Junior but graduated from Safford High and had moved to Cactus, as his loving grandmother Julia Richardson Burnett, Windsor passed away. In 1954.
Gale graduated in 1955 from Safford High School with the same class as his older brother Earl. This became his lifelong venture as a very hard worker to not allow him to be a burden on his dad and became the very tradition for his future wife and family. After Graduation Gale went to stay with his older brother Lavar who was going to college in back East.
Gale helped with a member program to build a chapel and had written a poem about that project and that poemwas read at the Chapel dedication by President David O. McKay, of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Gale came back home to Safford and was called to serve on a mission for his church and spent 30 months serving in the German Mission and became a District Leader. When Gale returned from his mission in 1961 his younger brother Gary was called on a mission to the Northern California Mission.
Gale and Gary had the rare opportunity of having Gale’s Home Coming and Gary’s Farewell on the same Sunday Service. This Sunday event was one of the very few times in Benjamin Hartley Burnett’s life, that he attended to our church to hear his two sons speak. Ben was not a member of any church, but you could never tell, by viewing the personal pathway of his life and actions.
Benjamin Hartley Burnet was indeed a man of his word and when he made a promise or gave a quote for a job he always kept his word. Gale and Gary were honored a few years ago by having a magnificent opportunity to name the road that we live on after our Dad, Hartley Lane! !
! L/R Neil, Earl, Gary, Darlene, Mother, Dad, Norman, Gale & Avalon This Picture Taken On Sunday June 25, 1961 Gale went to college in Utah at the University where he met his sweet wife Sonya Peters Burnett and they were married on June 7, 1962. This June 7 was always a special day in Gale’s life and he would frequently tell of the many eventful things that happened in his life on that day.
Gale has been married to his sweet wife Sonya Peters Burnett for 56 wonderful years since that date on June 7, 1962 where they were married in the Salt Lake Temple and sealed for eternity by Spencer W. Kimball. While Gale was going to the University in Utah he went to work for Litton Data Systems and he got a call from a friend that needed his data and math skills In San Jose, California. While there Gale worked for several computer companies including IBM, Memorex and Caelus Memories and indeed was a pioneer in developing the Magnetic Computer Technology.
His younger brother Gary moved to California and stayed with his brother in the mid sixties and Gale got him a job at Caelus Memories and Gary became a computer engineer as a result of Gales influence and it indeed became Gary’s lifelong profession. Gale and Sonya had three children, Kevin Burnett, Gwynn Burnett Meaker and Kendall Burnett and they love their children very much. Gale has a truly fantastic work history and is indeed one of the most dedicated Computer Engineers in that industry and the following are just a few of his accomplishments during his almost 50 years perfecting and moving forward that future technology • He filed and obtained over 16 patients from the United States Patient Office either by himself or through the companies that he worked for.
• While working in the computer industry he salvaged 2 of the companies from going into bankruptcy due to his endless research and diligence in trying to find the solution through intensive ‘Failure Analysis’ and problem solving skills he learned. He was dedicated to not only fix the failure rate but to massively improve the product quality and at the same time reducing the price of production • He started two companies that were traded on the New York Stock Exchange and those two companies were responsible for many changes and brought forth new technologies o AMSI (Advanced Monitoring Systems Inc.) PRTK (Profile Technologies) (; – Was able to detect corrosion and defects in oil and other pipelines by implementing a computerized “Pig” that detected the weakness, cracks and corrosions of those lines. • Advanced Optical Technology – Gale was invited by several world renowned leaders to make a presentation about this new technology that he had developed in London England at the same Podium that Sir Isaac Newton made his presentation on Math and Optics in the late 1600s.
Gale truly had developed this new technology that would change the world. This came to him in a dream about how the eyeball sees and responds to light. He has done massive research over the last 15 years and indeed what he came up with will change the world and bring light to as we understand and know it.
• In his later years he came up with rough draft about prototypes of a magnetically powered electric generator that would indeed change the cost and reduce the need for fossil fuels to generate electricity for homes and businesses. This indeed was a fulfillment of a promise that was given to him as a young man by one of his church leaders and Gale felt it was one of his purposes for being born at this time in his life “To bring forward the technology and Light To The World”. Gale Church Service Gale has been vigorously active in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints most of his life.
He loved his dad and mom and was the first in our family to make sure their temple work was done, after their deaths, Dad in 1966 & Mom in 1983. He and his wife have been a lifelong daily readers of the scriptures followed with daily family prayer. Gale believed that indeed our whole family that practiced what was preached in the scriptures would result in us being reunited on the other side of the vale.
• Gale was a ward mission leader and was an ordained 70 which does not happen anymore except in worldwide church leadership. He has been personally responsible for many people being brought into the church, including his lifelong friend in Ft. Wayne Indiana, Larry Fuqua.
Especially during his District Leadership on his mission in Germany and while he lived in Canada with one of his companies. • Gale was in many ward leadership positions as in the Branch Presidency, High Priest Group Leadership and many years as a teacher in various positions. • Gale was asked by the Stake Presidency to publish a quarterly Stake Newsletter and did that very diligently completed for several years without fail.
• Just prior to his passing on Gale was in charge of the Safford 9th Ward Temple Cleaning and also the assigned person to be in charge of the cleaning of the Safford 9th Ward Chapel every 3 months and has done that for numerous years and was recognized for this faithful and diligent service of keeping the chapel at its best. Gale loved to write poetry and stories and has written many things that were dear to him. He one time put together a very detailed DVD that told the story about billiards, as Gale got this love from his dad who was a world class billiards player.
While as a young boy Gale would go to the billiard area and clean tables and watch the magnificent details of his dad playing the game. This was the inspiration that led him to put together this DVD “It’s All About Physics” that actually taught people how to play pool and billiards by using the skills he learned as a degreed mathematician. He also taught his son Kendall had to use these skills to kick the football.
At one time Gale was in Alaska in the Northern part, working on an oil pipeline with his company, he witnessed the area where the sun never sit in the summer. It was the results of this trip that Gale wrote one of his favorite poems and it was “The Light Of The World” and scripturally based upon the many different names that our Savior Jesus Christ went by. This is the poem that he wrote and sent to me with a photo of the sunset horizon in Northern Alaska.
Gale started writing this poem on December 21, 2002 and spent the next 9 years researching every Scripture that declared the names given to Jesus Christ and that was how he titled the poem. He did not complete the poem until December 17, 2011. Just one example of how much research Gale did, even for one little poem.
In conclusion I just want to say about my dear brother Gale, he was truly was born to be a genius for our latter days. He had his weakness, like many of us, but when you judge him with the intent of justice, you must know the true faithfulness of his heart. He would tell of many things that most of us would never even began to understand, but indeed he was a very hard worker and very diligent mental thinker, as in school he was so advanced that most teachers and professors could not even follow his understanding of the subject.
But more important than all of that, he was indeed a faithful servant of others and spent much time helping all that he could. He loved doing his duty and made sure that it was done, as long as he was able, even though it cost him much to do so. As his younger brother and one that has been in many all night long analysis and as a lifelong advocate helping in developing solutions, I can say without question that he indeed was a faithful servant of our Savior and spent his last years trying to care for his family and his dear wife Sonya, even though it took all the effort that he was able to give.
Thank you dear brother Gale, for what you have taught me, for what you have done for me in my life, I indeed love you for who you are and cannot wait until we meet together and are united with Dad and Mom on the other side of the Vale. Gale was valiant like his dad, Benjamin Hartley Burnett, who worked hard and tired his best to take care of his children with the res that he had. Similar to King Benjamin of the Book of Mormon, when he said to his sons to proclaim to the people as recorded in Mosiah 1:14-15 14 For I say unto you, that if he had not extended his arm in the preservation of our fathers they must have fallen into the hands of the Laminates, and become victims to their hatred.
15 And it came to pass that after king Benjamin had made an end of these sayings to his son, that he gave him charge concerning all the affairs of the kingdom. We owe all that we have to our dad for his sacrifice to our family trying to keep them together and charged his sons to do the same. Even though Ben never joined the church, his proclamation to his family was keep your word and help others.
Ben was indeed a father that kept his word, and if he made a promise with just a handshake, you knew full well that he would keep his promise. So it is with our dear bother Gale, he loved the church and tried his best to fulfill his Patriarchal blessing as a young lad, and that was to bring Light To The World By His Pioneering In Technology and teaching his children to keep Gods word! !
! Gale indeed was a man of service to others and he did it in a way that most did not understand because his mind did not function like the normal person. It is mentioned in the book of Mosiah, where King Benjamin states: Mosiah 5:10-14 10 And now it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall not take upon him the name of Christ must be called by some other name; therefore, he findeth himself on the left hand of God.
(Reference Matthew 25:33 – those on the left are goats, that wonder off, and do not listen to their Sheppard, and do their own thing) 11 And I would that ye should remember also, that this is the name that I said I should give unto you that never should be blotted out, except it be through transgression; therefore, take heed that ye do not transgress, that the name be not blotted out of your hearts. 12 I say unto you, I would that ye should remember to retain the name written always in your hearts, that ye are not found on the left hand of God, but that ye hear and know the voice by which ye shall be called, and also, the name by which he shall call you. 13 For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?
14 And again, doth a man take an ass which belongeth to his neighbor, and keep him? I say unto you, Nay; he will not even suffer that he shall feed among his flocks, but will drive him away, and cast him out. I say unto you, that even so shall it be among you if ye know not the name by which ye are called If you are on the right hand of God through his service, you are indeed called by His name.
Gale knew much about his God, and his contribution to “The Light of The World” service that he contributed by the businesses and Patients that he developed, but more importantly, his service to others through his Priesthood and as a father that loved his children by attempting to bring them to the Light of Christ.
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