I've been trying to find the right words to be engraved on Gay's stone marker that will be placed next to her parents in Bluffton, Texas. The one that resonates most is a saying from Dr. Seuss that my mother had pinned up in her house for years. "Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened".

If you knew Gay, she loved you, and I'll bet you loved her too. She was a truly remarkable, joyful spirit. I'd love to capture any fond memory or funny experience you shared with Gay over the years. We can celebrate these shared memories together online, and leave an impression of her for generations to come.

Please share a story and/or photo of Gay under the Memory tab by selecting Story and/or Photo.

On a personal note, I found a letter from my grandmother to my mother describing how her name originated. She wanted to name my mother ‘Gay’ because she wanted her to be “Sunshiny, have a bright smile for everyone, treat people right, and make other people happy.”

My mom did just that.

Her wonderful, adventurous, spirit lives on through the incredible friendships she made, and through her grandchildren Dakota, Chloe and Kiran Smith. I feel so lucky to have had such a treasure of a mother.