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.

Post-retirement, Gayle enjoyed traveling with James, gardening, flea markets, and collecting Native American and Russian art and artifacts. Until a few years ago, she took long daily walks with her dogs along the Temescal beach path, chatting up strangers and regulars along the way.Gayle loved spending time with those closest to her; laughing and talking politics with her brother Kim, hearing about the latest goings on during Tuesday Taco Night with her daughters, and having her grandchildren visit for conversation and ice cream. She was generous in sharing her wisdom, and ready to lend a listening ear or a shoulder to cry on. She was fiercely independent, often fought authority, and was always ready to do battle for the underdog.