GAY: The True Gentleman

After 90 years Uncle Gay passed away. Cousin Alec had his ashes in limbo for about a year. He did this so we could be there when he sprayed Gay’s ashes into the St. John’s River near St. Augustine. We had a simple ceremony just like Uncle Gay wished. He will be missed.
As I mentioned before Uncle Gay was a gentleman and so is his son Alec. Gay and my dad were childhood playmates and shared many life experiences up until my dad passed in 1985. I can remember many a story those two would tell us about their experiences on the St. John’s river, life with family in St. Augustine and Jacksonville. It was through Uncle Gay that I developed an interest in genealogy. To this day I will never forget losing a book that Gay entrusted me with on our family. It was lost in the mail and all he got upon arrival was an empty envelope with the book gone. He was needless to say upset for it was the only copy we had, but in his gentle manner he made me feel as if it wasn’t my fault. To make matters worse the author of the book had died. The envelope was not strong enough to handle the heavy book, therefore the fault laid in my hands. I put out a mail search to no avail. I then headed for the internet trying to find the book or someone in our lost family that may have the book. In the process I found a long lost 2nd cousin who had not only done his own genealogy that he shared with me, but knew a relative that had copies of this book. I managed to get two copies. Needless to say Gay was extremely happy and my guilt lessened some.
He had a fantastic dry sense of humor that got him in trouble at times. He would tell people, “my name is Gay and I have been Gay all my Life.” Well needless to say if he said this to someone who did not know him, which was often, it would have some people walking in a wide circle away from him. Not understanding he was talking about his name, not a characteristic. He use to spend hours swinging my sisters and me by our feet and arms in a big arch or up and down making us feel like we were flying. I can remember how excited I would get when I knew Uncle Gay was coming and I would go racing around the house yelling at the top of my lungs (I had and have a very loud carrying voice) that I was going flying with the birds. He swung me around until I was at least ten years old. As we grew older we got separated by time, circumstances, etc: I was not the greatest letter writer in the world. (Bad handwriting and laziness) but he would write beautiful letters to my parents that they would share. He could bake great cakes and bread from scratch. He was a yard man like my dad. One of my last memories of him was at his home in Florida stuffing me with figs (one of my favorite fruit along with kumquats) from his yard.

During his last years he lived in Maine. The four sisters went to see him. (This is another story. Think four sisters, four different personalities, four different interests, and four different ages traveling together.) Anyway, Gay was as sharp as ever and he, Alec and Sharon made us feel so welcome. It was the last time we saw him. I am so thankful we made that trip together and the memories of our visit were such good ones.

ST. AUGUSTINE "Better Late Than Never"

Learning how to do a blog and the timing in writing versus posting the blog is a slow process for me. I wrote this blog post before I left for St. Augustine and forgot to post it. In order not to waste this I decided to post it “after the fact” and will do a follow up in a few days.

I am headed to St. Augustine, Florida tomorrow. I am looking forward to this trip for I enjoy my cousin Alec and his wife Sharon. They are real nice down-folk people. Last year they visited my sister and me in South Carolina and we so enjoyed their visit. We managed to sightsee quite a bit in the Savannah/Beaufort/Charleston area. I love photography and I managed to take some really great pictures. (One of these pictures I framed for them). I hope to do the same in St. Augustine, especially since a portion of our family’s genealogy is from that area. I am hoping one of the old homestead houses will still be there. We also have to scatter Uncle Gay’s ashes into the St. John’s River. My dad and Uncle Gay (I always called him uncle) were best pals growing up and I absolutely adored him. I will share memories of Uncle Gay in another blog report. Gay died last year and this will be a celebration of his life at his request. He is and will be missed by all of us. He was a true gentleman as is his son Alec. He lived into his nineties. He was one of those that aged well and was a handsome man until the day he died


The only negative part about this whole trip is making the decision on what to take to wear. Here it is April and we are having 50 degree weather. Two days ago it was 75 degrees. Florida is further south than us so I am assuming it will be warmer. It would just be my luck I pack clothes for warm weather and it turns out to be cold. Thank goodness I am not flying for I would be limited not only on weather clothes, but suitcase weight. (In August I head to Michigan….Lord help me on trying to decide what to take for I am flying on this trip.) The only thing I dislike about traveling is making decisions on wearing apparel. I usually start packing a good two to three days ahead of time. I am constantly putting clothes in and taking them out. I worry about forgetting something so I put the “stuff” I need beside the suitcase hoping I will not need it before I leave and if I do I hope to remember to put it back. I even half-dream about what I am taking or might be leaving and I mentally do a check list instead of getting a good night’s sleep. Well anyway after all of that ranting I am packed and pray I have not forgotten my toothpaste and u-pants.