Obituary of Arnold Spencer Gale

Arnold Spencer Gale, who for the past 48 years lived a life of love with his wife and soulmate, Stephanie, died Aug.17, 2026 after a courageous, year-long bout with Parkinson’s Disease and complications of Lewy Body Dementia. He was 71. He and Stephanie retired to Aspen, Colorado, where they have lived since 2018.

Until the end of his life, Arnie evinced the optimism, passion and joy that marked how he engaged the world. He was a doer who never stopped working to achieve his goals and fulfill the dreams he shared with Stephanie.

Always a striver, though never boastful, Arnie brought lifelong focus and discipline to his work, his play, and to his love for family and friends. There were few, if any, wasted moments.

Born to Millie and Lou Gale on June 7, 1955, in Jericho, NY, Arnie grew up with his older brother Howard. After an idyllic childhood on Long Island and seven years at the Jericho Elementary School, Arnie moved with his family to Shaker Heights, Ohio, where his father was the national sales director for Cleveland-based Bobbie Brooks, a major national women’s clothing line.

Arnie attended Woodbury Junior High School and Shaker Heights High School, taking an after-school and weekend job scooping ice cream at the locally-famous Draeger’s Ice Cream shop.

While most kids – including Arnie’s brother – threw themselves into team sports as players and fans, Arnie loved horses. He rode them, he groomed them, and he studied them. He decorated his bedroom with a saddle and ribbons that honored his riding and grooming achievements. His first horse was named Prides Cowboy.

When his parents returned to New York, Manhattan became his new home turf. He graduated high school from the Rhodes School. In addition to Arnie, notable alumni included actors James Caan and Robert DeNiro.

He joined his cousin, Pete Mandelkern, in Athens, Ohio, where they roomed together while attending Ohio University. Arnie later attended Oglethorpe University in Atlanta.

Horsepower remained important to Arnie, but he was now focused on the road.  The first of his many cars was a Datsun 240-Z. Over the decades his garage housed Cadillacs, Audis, and Mercedes. His favorite car, however, was a silver Porsche.

Arnie didn’t limit himself to automobiles and horses. For five years, while living in Los Angeles, he rode a Harley-Davidson.

Few rode a hog with better flair than Arnie, whose love of clothes and fashion were the foundation of his business career.

After college, he and Stephanie moved to Birmingham, Alabama, where he spent a year as a sales rep for a denim company. In 1981, he joined Apparel Ventures, a swimwear manufacturer. He and Stephanie moved to Florida, where they toggled between Coral Springs, Palm Beach and Boca Raton.

In 1986, the entrepreneurial bug hit him. He and Stephanie moved to New York and started a sportswear company, The Clothing Division.

A couple years later, Arnie became a partner in another clothing company, Beach Patrol, where he became the President of Sales of Baja Blue Swimwear line –- a position he held for 15 years. He and Stephanie moved to Los Angeles in 2003 where they remained until retiring to Aspen.

Arnie’s reputation building successful sales organizations sparked designer James Perse to sign him as President of Sales of this luxury brand, a position he held for seven years.

Arnie concluded his nearly 40-year career as a sales director for fashion and lifestyle brands in 2017 as President of Sales for J Brand Jeans.

Those who knew him can vouch that for the last 50 years of his life he was consistently the best-dressed man in every room he entered. That included horse barns where his western denim look was distinguished, as well as practical. Stable hands as well as horses were impressed.    

In addition to Arnie’s love of fashion, equines, automobiles and sales, he was a passionate guitar player. He owned several and took private lessons for many years.

Never one to do anything half-hearted, while living in Los Angeles, Arnie’s guitar teacher was Laurence Juber, the renowned fingerstyle guitarist, and former member of the Paul McCartney band Wings. Like Arnie, Laurence Juber played Martin Guitars, though Arnie was also fond of classic James Goodall guitars.  

After retirement in Aspen, Arnie’s guitar teacher was Chris Phillips, a famed classical and Spanish guitarist in his own right, who in addition to playing with Arnie, has played with John Denver, Danny Elfman and Jeff Bridges.

When Arnie’s eyesight became troubled, he sustained his lifelong love for horses by volunteering at WindWalkers, a non-profit horse therapy ranch, in Carbondale, Colorado.    

Arnie was pre-deceased by his parents, Millie and Lou, and his brother Howard.

In addition to the love of his life, Stephanie, Arnie is survived by his nephew Spencer Gale; his cousins Peter and Joyce Mandelkern and their children Kenny and Annie Mandelkern, and Eric and Jenna Mandelkern; his cousins Nancy and John Wolff, and their children Jonathan and Jenna Wolff, and Alex and Carla Wolff; his sister-in-law Debbie Tzinberg, and their children, Allie Rossini and Emily Caine; and his sister-in-law Charlotte Marshall.

Donations in Arnie’s memory can be made to WindWalkers of Carbondale, Colorado.