David Bale
Encyclopedia
David Charles Howard Bale (September 2, 1941 – December 30, 2003) was a South Africa
n-born entrepreneur and an environmentalist
animal rights
activist, perhaps best known as the husband of journalist, political and social activist, and Women's Movement leader Gloria Steinem
and the father of actor Christian Bale
.
Bale grew up in England
, Egypt
and the Channel Islands
. He worked as a commercial pilot and later ran a commuter airline in England. His business activities included marketing imported jeans
and skateboard
s.
Bale was an activist for environmental and animal rights causes. He served as a board member of The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund and the Ark Trust, which in 2002 became the Hollywood branch of the Humane Society of the United States
. He also served as a board member for World Education, Inc., an international non-profit organization known for its work in educational development, located in Boston, Massachusetts.
ended in divorce, as did his second marriage in England
to Jenny James. He had a daughter, Erin Bale Kreunen, from the first marriage, and three children from his second marriage: Louise, Sharon, and Christian
, the latter of whom became a well-known actor.
On September 3, 2000, he married the feminist writer, journalist, activist, and political leader Gloria Steinem
in a private ceremony in Oklahoma. At the time of the marriage, Bale had been facing deportation after overstaying his visa. However, both Steinem and Bale denied that Bale's immigration status was the motivation for the wedding.
Steinem had in the past been critical of the institution of marriage, stating that "marriage was the model for slavery law in this country". She explained her change in attitude toward marriage, saying 'I didn't change. Marriage changed. We spent 30 years in the United States changing the marriage laws. If I had married when I was supposed to get married, I would have lost my name, my legal residence, my credit rating, many of my civil rights. That's not true anymore. It's possible to make an equal marriage'.
Bale and Steinem remained married until Bale died of brain lymphoma
on December 30, 2003, at the age of 62.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n-born entrepreneur and an environmentalist
Environmentalist
An environmentalist broadly supports the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that seeks to improve and protect the quality of the natural environment through changes to environmentally harmful human activities"...
animal rights
Animal rights
Animal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
activist, perhaps best known as the husband of journalist, political and social activist, and Women's Movement leader Gloria Steinem
Gloria Steinem
Gloria Marie Steinem is an American feminist, journalist, and social and political activist who became nationally recognized as a leader of, and media spokeswoman for, the women's liberation movement in the late 1960s and 1970s...
and the father of actor Christian Bale
Christian Bale
Christian Charles Philip Bale is an English actor. Best known for his roles in American films, Bale has starred in both big budget Hollywood films and the smaller projects from independent producers and art houses....
.
Bale grew up in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and the Channel Islands
Channel Islands
The Channel Islands are an archipelago of British Crown Dependencies in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two separate bailiwicks: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey...
. He worked as a commercial pilot and later ran a commuter airline in England. His business activities included marketing imported jeans
Jeans
Jeans are trousers made from denim. Some of the earliest American blue jeans were made by Jacob Davis, Calvin Rogers, and Levi Strauss in 1873. Starting in the 1950s, jeans, originally designed for cowboys, became popular among teenagers. Historic brands include Levi's, Lee, and Wrangler...
and skateboard
Skateboard
A skateboard is typically a specially designed plywood board combined with a polyurethane coating used for making smoother slides and stronger durability, used primarily for the activity of skateboarding. The first skateboards to reach public notice came out of the surfing craze of the early 1960s,...
s.
Bale was an activist for environmental and animal rights causes. He served as a board member of The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund and the Ark Trust, which in 2002 became the Hollywood branch of the Humane Society of the United States
Humane Society of the United States
The Humane Society of the United States , based in Washington, D.C., is the largest animal advocacy organization in the world. In 2009, HSUS reported assets of over US$160 million....
. He also served as a board member for World Education, Inc., an international non-profit organization known for its work in educational development, located in Boston, Massachusetts.
Personal life
Bale was married three times. His first marriage to Sandra Kreunen in South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
ended in divorce, as did his second marriage in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to Jenny James. He had a daughter, Erin Bale Kreunen, from the first marriage, and three children from his second marriage: Louise, Sharon, and Christian
Christian Bale
Christian Charles Philip Bale is an English actor. Best known for his roles in American films, Bale has starred in both big budget Hollywood films and the smaller projects from independent producers and art houses....
, the latter of whom became a well-known actor.
On September 3, 2000, he married the feminist writer, journalist, activist, and political leader Gloria Steinem
Gloria Steinem
Gloria Marie Steinem is an American feminist, journalist, and social and political activist who became nationally recognized as a leader of, and media spokeswoman for, the women's liberation movement in the late 1960s and 1970s...
in a private ceremony in Oklahoma. At the time of the marriage, Bale had been facing deportation after overstaying his visa. However, both Steinem and Bale denied that Bale's immigration status was the motivation for the wedding.
Steinem had in the past been critical of the institution of marriage, stating that "marriage was the model for slavery law in this country". She explained her change in attitude toward marriage, saying 'I didn't change. Marriage changed. We spent 30 years in the United States changing the marriage laws. If I had married when I was supposed to get married, I would have lost my name, my legal residence, my credit rating, many of my civil rights. That's not true anymore. It's possible to make an equal marriage'.
Bale and Steinem remained married until Bale died of brain lymphoma
Lymphoma
Lymphoma is a cancer in the lymphatic cells of the immune system. Typically, lymphomas present as a solid tumor of lymphoid cells. Treatment might involve chemotherapy and in some cases radiotherapy and/or bone marrow transplantation, and can be curable depending on the histology, type, and stage...
on December 30, 2003, at the age of 62.