By GAYLE WEBER

gweber@dailynews.net

Recently retired Fort Hays State University professor Ralph Gamble died Saturday. He was 66.

Gamble retired in May from the economics and finance department after 24 years on staff.

"He had moved out to Washington state. His daughter lived in Gig Harbor, (Wash.)" said Linda Kepka, administrative assistant in the department. "He was going to have his first grandchild in November."

Kepka worked with Gamble for nearly the entire time he was at FHSU and even took a couple of classes from him.

"He had a wonderful sense of humor and was a great teacher," Kepka said. "It's hard to put into words."

Gamble still was scheduled to teach an online course at FHSU this fall, and Kepka said finding a replacement could be difficult.

"It was one of the upper divisions that our majors take, and that's not easily taken on by someone else," Kepka said.

A private funeral service for Gamble will be Tuesday in Spiro, Okla., his hometown. Kepka said she and many of his longtime colleagues will be attending to remember him. His obituary is on page A8.