Mrs. Gay was born Lois T. Stewart on April 17, 1933 in Plain Dealing, LA. She worked at Hawthorne Elementary School for 10 years as a teacher and 18 years as the principal. She was a member and served as vice-president of Delta Kappa Gamma, a member of the YWCA, First Baptist Church, the Salina Regional Health Center Board of Trustees, the Kansas Teachers Hall of Fame, and board member for Kansas Childrens Services League (KCSL).

She was preceded in death by her parents, Roger Stewart and Zula Howard, and a brother, Lavar Allen.

Survivors include her husband, Orlanda, of the home; two sons, Reggie of Aurora, CO, and Michael of Manhattan; two daughters, Yolanda Gay of Topeka and Michelle Gay of Irving, TX; two brothers, Lamar Allen of Los Angeles, CA. and Lavern Stewart of Compton, CA.; two grandchildren, Michael S. Gay of Pohang, Korea and Christian Gay of Manhattan; and two great-grandchildren, Jonathan and Michael A. Gay of St. Louis, MO.

The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at the First Baptist Church of Salina, 843 Lewis, the Rev. James Bridges officiating. Burial will follow in Roselawn Memorial Park, Salina.

Memorials may be made to the National Kidney Foundation.