Vivian Louise Gay

Memorial services for Vivian Louise Gay, 84 of Thomasville will be held at 10 am, Saturday, July 6, 2013 at Allen & Allen Funeral Home Chapel. Mrs. Gay died peacefully on July 2. She was sitting up in her room at Camellia Gardens with her son's dog, Yoda, lying devotedly on her lap. Gently stroking Yoda, with whom she had a special relationship, she passed quietly. Mrs. Gay died in full confidence of being united with her husband of 61 years, David Lavoyd Gay, who died in 2007. She was the loving mother of four, including three surviving children, Randall Gay Janice of Thomasville, Linda Sirmons Richard of Crestview, FL and Deborah Levy Warren of Doylestown, PA. A woman of tradition, duty, and devotion, Mrs. Gay expressed herself through cooking and food with favorite dishes that the family grew up with and came back home for. She had a deep, natural sense of right and wrong with an acute awareness of others' pain and distress, empathy passed along to her children. Pairing surprising energy and strength with dogged determination, Mrs. Gay had been most content expressing her passion for growing things. She shared that passion with her beloved husband; both were children of generations of farmers. Together, they toiled happily and tirelessly to accidentally build a successful wholesale garden nursery that served customers throughout the southeast. They started by putting out a few cuttings here and there, but gradually expanded to managing hundreds of thousands of potted shrubs by themselves. But Mrs. Gay perhaps is best remembered for her quirky sense of the world around her, and a stubborn, independent confidence in her perceptions. For instance, if she couldn't think of a word, she'd make one up, like pestercate, which let you know, at once, that you were pestering and it was irritating. Born July 7, 1928 in Hartsfield, GA, Mrs. Gay was the daughter of Henry Fielden and Carrie Ola Richter Sloan. In addition to three children, Mrs. Gay is survived by her sister Judy Carden Atlanta, and two grandchildren, Michael Gay Atlanta, and Jonathon Sirmons Crestview, FL, and special friends Bill and Velna Hunter Thomasville. The family thanks the devoted staff at Woodleaf Senior Living, where she spent her last years, and Camellia Gardens, where she spent her last days. Family and friends are invited to sign the online guest register at www.allenfh.com