Gayle L. Ruedi, age 81, of Dyer, Indiana, formerly of Pittsboro, North Carolina, and Calumet City, Illinois, died on September 9, 2026. She is survived by her cousins Robert C. Schneider, Kathleen A. Halloran, and Hank W. Schneider, and dear friend Beverly D. Hanly.
She attended Lincoln Elementary and Thornton Fractional North High School in Calumet City, Illinois. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics at Purdue University and an MBA from Loyola University Chicago. She was a Sloan Fellow, earning a master’s degree in management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She retired as vice president of human resources information systems at AT&T. In retirement, she traveled extensively throughout Africa, China, and Europe.
Gayle’s academic and career achievements were surpassed only by her compassion and commitment to helping others. She was an active participant in the Poor People’s Campaign and Moral Monday initiatives led by Rev. William Barber in North Carolina, raising her voice on behalf of those who were less fortunate or in need. That same spirit of compassion extended to animals, and she was an avid supporter of humane societies wherever she lived.
She will be buried in the family plot at Homewood Memorial Gardens in Homewood, Illinois.