Thelma Horton Gay

March 31, 1923 – November 4, 2021

Woodridge, Illinois

 

Thelma Horton Gay, 98, only child of the late John Thomas Horton and the late Martha Owens Horton of Fountain NC, died Thursday in Naperville IL. Mrs. Gay was a graduate of Fountain High School class of 1940. She married Hilton Lee Gay of Zebulon NC in 1943. Together they raised 4 sons. Mrs. Gay was preceded in death by her parents, her husband and one son, Hilton Lee Gay, Jr.

 

She will be interred in the Queen Anne Cemetery in Fountain. Arrangements are incomplete at this time.

 

While Mr. Gay was serving in the Army in Europe in 1944 and 1945, Mrs. Gay worked at the FBI, returning to Fountain to work in her father’s drug store until her husband was discharged from the service in April 1946. While her husband was attending NC State from 1946 until 1951, Mrs. Gay worked at Dun and Bradstreet in Raleigh. After Mr. Gay graduated from college and began teaching, she worked at General Electric in Asheboro.

 

In 1953, she became a stay at home mom with the birth of her first son. This career continued until all 4 boys were out of school and on their own.

 

Mrs. Gay is survived by 3 sons, Tom Gay (Terrie) of Parker CO, Bob Gay (Nancy) of Downers Grove IL, David Gay (Alena Skala) of Santa Barbara CA. She was grandmother of 5: Rachel Richards (Dave) of Elbert CO, Elizabeth Gay (fiancé Steve) of Denver CO, Stephanie Stillwell (Bill) of Bolingbrook IL, Daniel Skala Gay of Royal Oak MI and Caroline Skala Gay of Santa Barbara CA. She was great-grandmother of 3: William Stillwell of Bolingbrook IL, Wyatt Richards and Weston Richards of Elbert CO. She is also survived by 5 nieces: Jean Johnson and Ann Gay of Zebulon, Wilma Batts of Raleigh, Linda Reckenbiel of Midlothian VA and Clara Gay of Raleigh.