Obituary – Gale Hull, 1951-2021
This week, thousands of mourners from four countries are erecting monuments and lamenting the sudden passing of Ipswich’s own daughter, Gale Hull, co-founder and president of the international development organization Partners in Development.
In 1973, Gale, with her husband, James, opened what then was called the Ipswich Gospel Mission in a storefront on Central Street.
The center served low-income families, youth, institutionalized persons, and adult learners throughout the greater Ipswich area.
By the late 1970s, the organization was also supporting relief and development projects in East Africa. By the early 1980s, it was initiating its own development program in the Republic of Haiti, the poorest country in this hemisphere.
Currently, its name changed to Partners in Development (PID), the organization serves low-income populations in Haiti, Guatemala, Peru, and the Mississippi Delta.
In these areas, PID operates fully staffed clinics, builds affordable housing, implements educational programs, and provides basic life resources through its sponsorship program and staff of social workers for over one thousand children.
Currently, Gale’s daughter, Talitha Marcelin, serves as PID’s director and Gale’s husband, James, as PID’s cofounder and instructor in history and social justice.
PID’s international headquarters is now based at 2 North Main Street — not far from its original opening as a community service center 48 years ago.
Not surprisingly, Gale has received numerous public honors and recognitions. In 2004, she received the “Excellence in Social Action Award” from the New England Methodist Conference.
In 2008, she received an honorary doctorate from Saint Joseph’s College in Maine. Likewise, Gale was named one of the top 100 leaders of the North Shore in 2010.
After being named an honorary Rotarian by the Topsfield/Boxford/ Middleton Rotary Club, she was voted “Person of the Year” by the Ipswich Rotary and received the Paul Harris Fellowship Award.
Her recognized expertise in international public health, likewise, gained the honor of her co- authoring a chapter in a training book for global health and nursing.
In addition to all her charity work, Gale loved reading mysteries, cooking, sewing, singing and choral music, participating in the life of her local church (Ipswich Immanuel Baptist, where she
was serving as deacon at the time of her passing), and spending time with her family and local friends.
And despite Gale’s extraordinary résumé and internationally recognized service, she found the greatest pride of her life in the accomplishments of her children and grandchildren. She valued every minute she could spend with each one of them when not traveling.
She glowed when discussing the many athletic and academic achievements of her numerous grandchildren and in speaking of her son Isaiah’s position as senior economist at the Central Bank of Sweden, her daughter Noel’s acclaimed administrative work in social services, her daughter Cherith’s successful business and artistic accomplishments, and her daughter Tali’s creative leadership at PID.
But beyond anyone’s accomplishments, especially those of her own, she always reveled in those special times that she could spend with each, be it a walk to the park, a Zoomed cooking lesson with a far-away grandchild, an afternoon tea-chat in her backyard, or a browse through an old bookstore with her husband.
Each will miss her dearly, along with the thousands around the world whose lives she touched.
Gale V. (Kozazcki) Hull, 70, of Spring Street, Ipswich, died Saturday, October 16, 2021, in Holy Family Hospital in Haverhill following her sudden illness.
She was born in Ipswich on June 14, 1951, the daughter of the late Mitchell W. and Victoria S. (Hetnar) Kozazcki. Gale was raised in Ipswich and was a 1969 graduate of Ipswich High School.
In addition to her husband of 47 years, Jim, she is survived by a son, Isaiah J. Hull, and his wife, Jamie, of Sweden; three daughters: Cherith G. Smith and her husband, Jeffrey, of Ipswich, Talitha K. Marcelin of Georgetown, Noel E. Marecka and her fiancé, Philip Legan, both of Ipswich; 12 grandchildren: Moses Hull of Sweden; Alexis Raasch of North Dakota,; Hannah and Jonathan Smith, both of Ipswich,; Obed, Tyrah, Neiylah, and Natalia Marcelin, all of Georgetown; Marie Borkowski of New Hampshire; Ayden and Beckett Marecka, both of Ipswich; and Kira Lagan of Ipswich.
She is also survived by two brothers, Mark Kozazcki and Matthew Kozazcki; three sisters, Cinda Sullivan, Karen Sheehan, and Heidi Kozazcki; and many nephews and nieces.
In lieu of flowers, people may best honor Gale by donating a memorial gift to PID at Partners in Development, PO Box 901, Ipswich, MA, 01938 or by donating online through PID’s website here.
A visitation for family and friends will be held at Whittier Porter Funeral Home, 6 Six High Street, Ipswich from 5 to 8 p.m. on Monday, October 25.
Her funeral service at Our Lady of Hope on Linebrook Road in Ipswich will be held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, October 26, followed by interment in the New Highland Cemetery.
During both events, we will honor Gale also by requiring mask usage by all participants as Gale, to her last day, followed and enforced this protocol, mindful that even vaccinated people can spread the virus with serious implications for elderly and other vulnerable populations.
To attend the services virtually on Tuesday, Oct 26th, please click here for the livestream.
For directions or to leave a condolence, please visit www.whittier-porter.com.