Gale Cohen-DeMarco

Gale Maureen Cohen-DeMarco passed away at 3:55am on November 1 with Pete and Brock by her bedside in Elgin, Illinois.

A public, COVID-safe drive-by memorial is planned for November 6, 2020 from 1 to 3PM in front of Gale and Pete’s house at 27621 West Lakeview Drive North in Lake Barrington. We ask that you honor Gale’s memory with a small donation to your favorite animal charity.

Gale was born on June 4, 1947 in Rochester, New York to Florence and Maurice Cohen. She attended University of Rochester, earning her B.A. in Biology in 1969. A trailblazer in so many aspects of her life, Gale went on to receive a Master’s degree in Microbiology and Immunology from SUNY when young women in the 1970’s rarely had this opportunity. From there, Gale had a long career in the pharmaceutical industry, rising to District Sales Manager at Glaxo and then Hospital Contracts Manager at Axcan Pharma. Then, in 2010, Gale and Pete (her dear husband) moved on to the second adventure in their work lives’ when they opened their first SportClips store in Lake Zurich, IL. Over the following years, they opened a total of six SportClips stores around the northwest suburbs and Gale joined seven Chamber of Commerce chapters where she met many of her current friends. She was the Wauconda Democratic Township Chair, the Democratic Committee Person for CD 352, and was President of the Lake Zurich Chamber of Commerce for a year.

Gale was not only an academic and professional trailblazer, she was also a loving mother of her son, Brock, her husband, Pete, and all of her many pets. Gale loved every animal she laid eyes on – in fact, Pete still feeds the birds, stray cats, deer and more in their backyard as a memory to her. Gale always put her friends and family ahead of her own needs – even if meant huge personal sacrifices. She was dedicated, hardworking and fair – and she believed that everyone deserved a chance at life and that everyone’s voice was important. Gale did not see the color of your skin, the gender of your lover or the size of your bank account when she made friends with you. She loved politics and even more she loved Pete and Brock.

Gale is survived by her husband of 37 years, Pete, and her son, Brock. Gale will be dearly missed as she embarks on the final journey of her life.