Carol Gay

Carol Gay, age 89, of Mount Olive, Alabama, passed away on November 9, 2024. Born and raised in Walker County, Carol was a proud graduate of West Jefferson High School. She had a distinguished career as an accounting manager for the Orkin Southeast Regional District Office before retiring.

A devout member of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Gardendale, Carol dedicated much of her life to serving others. She was an active participant in the church’s Outreach Program, Sodality, and the RCIA Team.

Carol was known for her sharp wit, strength, and warmth. She made a lasting impression on everyone she met, always taking the time to connect with others, including meeting friends’ families and offering her unwavering support. Carol was the person you could count on — always the first to lend a hand, often with her legendary fried chicken in tow. While she worked hard throughout her life, her true joy came from cheering on the University of Alabama football team with her family or losing herself in a good book on her back porch.

Carol’s intellect, deep love for her family, and her capacity to make others feel valued made her a beloved and cherished woman. Her loyalty to those she loved was fierce, and she will be truly missed by all who knew her.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 58 years, James Gay; her parents, Jesse and Leona Lamon; her sister, Sherrell Jones; and her son-in-law, Fred Mathis.

Left to cherish her memory are her children, Lisa and Greg Day, Jan Mathis, and Jim Gay; her siblings, Wanda Bradley, Cecile and Ed Lindley, Jeff and Sherry Lamon; her grandchildren, Michelle and Neal Brasher, Luke Day, Macey and Brantley Blow, Claire Mathis, Merrit Mathis, and Elly Gay. She was also blessed with seven great-grandchildren: Lyla, Tyler, and Tessa Day; Calvin, Mirabelle, and Harlowe Brasher; and Clara Dean Blow.

A visitation will be held on Thursday, November 14, 2024, at 9:00 am at St. Henry's Catholic Church in Warrior, AL, with a Funeral Mass immediately following at 10:00 am, offered by Reverend Wyman Vintson.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church Building Fund, P.O. Box 1027, Gardendale, AL 35071.