13 Facts About Gert Boyle

Gertrude Boyle was a German-born American businesswoman in the US state of Oregon.

Gert Boyle remained president until 1988 and additionally, was chairwoman of the company's board of directors from 1983 until her death in 2019.

Gert Boyle's father owned the largest shirt factory in Germany until it was seized.

Gert Boyle's mother was a nurse during World War I In 1937, when she was 13, her family fled Nazi Germany and migrated to Portland, Oregon, in the United States; her grandmother, who had remained in Germany, died in a concentration camp.

In 1964, Gert Boyle's father died and her husband, Neal Gert Boyle, became president; her husband diversified the hat business into outerwear for hunters, fishermen, and skiers.

Gert Boyle struggled and teetered on bankruptcy until, in the 1970s, she and her son Timothy refocused the business on outdoor clothing and casual wear which paralleled a general trend away from formal work attire.

In 1983, Gert Boyle became chairwoman of Columbia's board of directors.

Gert Boyle started starring in commercials for the company in 1984.

Gert Boyle stepped down as company president in 1988, handing the reins to her son Tim, but remained chairwoman of the board.

In 1995, Gert Boyle outfitted the Special Olympics Team USA for the World Games.

Gert Boyle donated the royalties from her autobiography One Tough Mother to the Special Olympics and Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children.

Gert Boyle was able to trigger a silent alarm which alerted police, and the robber was later captured.

Gert Boyle died in an assisted living facility in Portland on November 3,2019, at age 95.