Gayle was born in St. Could, Minnesota on July 29th, 1927. She was the fourth child of Harold and Helen (O’Brien) Deering. Gayle and her siblings enjoyed time spent at the nearby O’Brien farm, searching for newborn kittens in the barn, digging for arrowheads, and planting vegetables with their grandmother.

At age 18, Gayle ventured to San Francisco where she completed her baccalaureate and master’s degrees in English Literature. She thrived in the city’s vibrant post-WWII era. She then moved to New York, where she earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 1962 from Colombia University.

Eager to return to a warmer climate, Gayle accepted a faculty position in the Neuropsychiatric Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles. In 1965, she met and married James Marsh, a fellow neuropsychologist. Gayle and James purchased their first and only home together in Sunset Mesa, Malibu. The family home was Gayle’s sanctuary and became the hub of family gatherings for over 50 years.

Gayle enjoyed a long and successful career at UCLA, focusing on her core passions for teaching, research, and direct clinical work. In the mid 1970’s, Gayle received an invitation to study with Russian neuropsychologist Dr. A. R. Luria, but regretfully declined to avoid disrupting her young family. Over the years, Gayle mentored numerous early career neuropsychologists, many of whom kept in touch with her long after her retirement in 1986.