Rev. Ralph M. Gade
Of Arlington Heights

Ralph M. Gade was born January 2, 1920 in Boston, Massachusetts, to Gustav and Esther (nee Sandstrom) Gade. He died Friday, November 24, 2006.

Dr. Ralph M. Gade is the former President of International Ministries to Israel. He served as Executive Director for 27 years beginning in 1963, after which he served as president until 1997. Prior to his ministry with I.M.I., as Executive Director, he served as pastor of several churches in the Baptist General Conference of America. Dr. Gade was elected “Man of the Year” by B’nai B’rith because of his deep concern and interest shown toward the Jewish community and the State of Israel. He is the recipient of the Shalom Award as well as several other awards that were presented to him in recognition of his ministry on behalf of Israel.

In 1961, Dr. Gade represented the Lerner Newspapers, (the largest chain of Jewish newspapers in the Midwest), at the trial of Adolph Eichmann in Jerusalem. He has made many trips to the Middle East and produced two popular films, “Israel the Twentieth Century Miracle” and “Empires in the Dust.” Following the “Six Day War” in 1967, he obtained military escort by the Israeli army, in order that he might complete filming, “ Israel the Twentieth Century Miracle.”

Dr. Gade served as a conference speaker in many of the leading Bible conferences in the United States and Canada.


His survivors include his wife Dorothea C. nee Erickson; his son Richard (Jan) Gade of Skokie; his step-children RoseMarie, Catherine, Dominica, Susan, Joseph and Dominic Cece; his 9 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren.

Ralph is preceded in death by his first wife Miriam, his sister Estelle Siemens and his brothers Bertrum and Roy.

Visitation 4-7 PM Tuesday at the Glueckert Funeral Home, Ltd., 1520 N. Arlington Heights Road, (4 blocks south of Palatine Road) Arlington Heights. Funeral service 11:00 AM, Wednesday, November 29, 2006 at the Glueckert Funeral Home, Ltd. Interment Memorial Park Cemetery, Skokie, Illinois.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be given to Arlington Heights Evangelical Free Church, 1330 N. Douglas Ave., Arlington Heights, IL 60004.