Gayle Maples

Gayle Helen Maples (née Leagjeld), 67, passed away on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, in her Granbury home. The many roles she dedicated her life to included beloved daughter, wife, mother, and grandmother, as well as friend to multitudes.

A Celebration of Life service honoring Gayle’s life will be held at 2 PM, Saturday, July 19, 2025, at the Wiley Center, 420 Highway 377 East, in Granbury.

Gayle was born on October 5, 1957, in Bend, Oregon, to Clifford and Grace Leagjeld (now Mellott). She graduated high school early and moved to Spain, where she worked as a nanny. She then returned to Oregon where she met her future husband, Robert Maples, for the second time. They first met in the 4th grade, but they didn’t become a couple until they met again at age 18. They were married on March 10, 1978, and the adventure continued, this time to Iran. They were evacuated back to the US due to the Iranian Revolution and stopped in Illinois to visit friends, where they ended up remaining for the next decade. Together, they had one daughter, Chelsea.

The family relocated to Texas, where Gayle lived the majority of her life, but she never lost her love for traveling. Her favorite destinations included the Oregon portion of the Pacific Coast and Sedona, Arizona later in life. As much as she loved traveling, Gayle always treasured returning home to four-legged family members, especially her dogs. She was never long without a canine companion. The right dog always somehow managed to find her. Also adding to her love of home was her enjoyment of planting and caring for flowers — ‘digging in the dirt’ as she called it. Whether at home or away, Gayle’s favorite way to pass time was with her family.

Gayle is survived by her husband, Robert Maples; daughter, Chelsea and husband Stephen Frazier; their children, Kinleigh, Alden, Gioia, and Ottilie; and by her mother, Grace Mellott.

Gayle was preceded in death by her father, Clifford Leagjeld.

In place of flowers, please consider making a donation to Second Chance Farm in Granbury. SCF is an animal rescue that most frequently takes animals with special needs, including but not limited to deafness and blindness. Gayle was a volunteer for this shelter because she believed so strongly in the work they do.