Gail Harryman

Gail Harryman passed peacefully with her husband by her side. She passed away at her home in Rock Springs after a multi-year struggle with cancer.

Gail was born in Dalhart Texas on October 27, 1957, to Henry (Hank) and Wanda Casteel. 

She attended school in Dumas Texas up to the sixth grade before moving to Keyes, Oklahoma where she graduated as a salutatorian, Keyes High School, class of 1976. Gail continued her education at Western Wyoming Community College, receiving an associate degree in 1990. 

Gail served as a resident assistant and worked in the computer lab during her time at Western. She worked at SweetwaterNow from 2013 to 2015 when her health prevented her from continuing.

Gail and Jeff Harryman were married in an outdoor ceremony at Autograph Rock, an historic camping spot along the Santa Fe Trail in rural Cimarron County, Oklahoma on August 12, 1978. They welcomed their son Carlo to the family the following year.

Gail was a beautiful, brilliant and wise woman. She decided at an early age that if she wasn’t hurting anyone, she would do as she pleased. This approach to life worked well for her as most of what she did was pleasant to others too.

She was an animal lover and mother to numerous cats and a few dogs along the way. She joked that she had become a “cat-less child lady” in the end as she outlived all her furry babies and needed care.

Gail enjoyed camping, fishing and traveling when she was younger. Many family trips to Yellowstone National Park, the Black Hills, the Olympic Peninsula and British Columbia were among her favorite memories.

She stayed closer to home as her health began to deteriorate and indulged her love of reading, music and video games. She enjoyed fantasy and sci-fi, from Tolkien to Gibson to Pratchett. Her musical tastes were broad and changing. Recent new favorites included Sixto Rodriguez and Rehab. She played many of the Bethesda adventure games and recently became enamored with “Rim World.”

Gail was a good cook, but her favorite meal was one that someone else cooked. Her opinion of housework was that it makes you ugly. She was very disappointed that no one had invented self-washing dishes. She was proud to be an “adopted Okie” but wouldn’t go anywhere near Muskogee.

Gail was a good listener and a pragmatist. She lent a sympathetic ear to everyone else’s problems and dismissed her own with a casual “It is what it is.”

It has yet to be determined whether it was good sense on everyone’s part or just bad luck, but most of Gail’s closest friends and family lived far away. Those who could travel came to visit in her final weeks and days.

Gail was preceded in death by her parents, Hank and Wanda Casteel, her brother Garry Casteel, and her son Carlo Harryman.

She is survived by her husband Jeff Harryman, daughter-in-law Michelle Harryman and nieces Tracy Casteel and Michelle Laine.

The family would like to thank the staff at Castle Rock Medical Center, Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County and Hospice of Sweetwater County for their gentle care. Donations in her memory may be made to the Red Desert Humane Society or Hospice of Sweetwater County.

Cremation has taken place and there will be no services per her request.