David Bale, at 62; was animal activist

SANTA MONICA, Calif. -- David Bale, an activist and the husband of feminist writer Gloria Steinem, died Tuesday of brain lymphoma. He was 62.

Mr. Bale, the father of actor Christian Bale, died at Santa Monica Healthcare Center, where he had been residing since November, family friend Carla Morganstern said.

"David went through the world with few possessions and great empathy for all living things," Steinem, the cofounder of Ms. magazine, said in a press statement. "He had the greatest heart of anyone I've ever known."

Born in South Africa, Mr. Bale grew up in Egypt, England, and the Channel Islands. He worked as a commercial pilot, with the hope of providing aid to needy communities in Africa.

He married Steinem in 2000 in a Cherokee ceremony in Oklahoma. It was his third marriage. Mr. Bale was a board member of The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International and World Education Inc. He was also an active supporter of the annual Genesis Awards, presented to news and entertainment media for championing animal issues.