George Gay

GEORGE L. GAY

Iowa City

George L. Gay, 91, lifelong resident of Iowa City and longtime businessman, died Sunday, Dec. 27, 2015, at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 31, at the First Christian Church in Coralville, with graveside services at the Oakland Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service, where a Masonic memorial service will be held at 7 p.m. Memorial donations can be made in George's memory to the First Christian Church.

Online condolences may be sent for George's family through the funeral home website at www.

gayandciha.com.

George Lake Gay was born Aug. 24, 1924, in Iowa City, the son of George Robert and Helen (Lake) Gay. He attended Iowa City schools, graduating from City High School with the class of 1942. Then he attended the University of Iowa. During World War II, George served in the U.S. Navy. George was united in marriage to Kathrynn Ann (Katie) Murphy on Sept. 1, 1946. Returning to Iowa City, he joined the family business, the Gay Locker Company, where he worked until enrolling at the Worsham College of Mortuary Science in Chicago at the age of 40. Graduating from there as class salutatorian, he and his wife, Katie, purchased the former Oathout Funeral Home in Iowa City. This began his career as a funeral director and owner of the George L. Gay Funeral Home, a career that spanned many years in the Iowa City area, caring for thousands of families.

George believed in giving back to his community, church and profession. This was obvious in all the various groups, organizations and community functions that he was involved with throughout his lifetime. These included his church, First Christian Church; his profession, Iowa Funeral Directors Association (past president) and the National Funeral Directors Association; and former member of the Iowa City school board, Iowa City Chamber of Commerce, Ecumenical Towers Organization, University of Iowa School of Religion and DeMolay; active member of the Noon Rotary Club, Johnson County I-Club, New Horizons Senior Band, Rio-Grande Valley Concert Band (Mission, Texas), Men of A-Chord (Mission, Texas), IOOF, Rebekah Lodge, OES, White Shrine, Knight of Pythias, Eagles Lodge, Moose Lodge, Elks Lodge, the William Reynolds Lodge 667 of the Masonic Order and KAABA Shrine.

His family includes his children, Anita Gay Hartwig (Kevin Hartwig) of Iowa City and George Edward "Ted" Gay (Patti) of North Richland Hills, Texas; grandchildren, Kory Hartwig, Kerri Hartwig, Victoria Gay, Diana Kirkwood (Matt) and William Gay; two great-grandsons, Jaiden Feedee and Casen Kirkwood; brothers, Charles Gay of Iowa City and Robert Gay (Jeannine) of Philoimath, Ore.; sister-in-law, Marilou Gay of Iowa City; and fiancee, Suzie Oliver of Iowa City.

He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Katie; sister, Dorothy Adamson; brother, Richard Gay; sister, Anna Gay; and sister-in-law, Dorothy Gay.