Mary Carolyn (Branch) Gay

Mary Carolyn (MC) Gay, beloved wife to Brigadier General Forrest Theodore (Ted) Gay, III, adored mother to Mary Priscilla (MP) Krouse and cherished daughter to the late Thomas Drew and Mary Daisy Branch of Tallahassee, Florida passed away on December 4th in Alexandria, Virginia at the age of 88. Mary Carolyn was born on October 2, 1934, in Quincy, Florida and grew up in Tallahassee. She graduated from Leon High School and got her BA at Florida State University, where she was a trapeze artist in the circus and a proud member of Kappa Delta sorority. After graduation, she worked as a teacher in the Florida school system, teaching Social Studies, World Geography and American History. She was introduced to Ted by mutual friends, and they were married on December 27, 1966 – this month they would have celebrated 56 happy years together. They spent the years during Ted’s Army career moving from place to place – Rhode Island, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Florida, Germany, Minnesota, where MP was born, Georgia, and then settled down in Mt. Vernon, Virginia. Mary Carolyn loved to travel. Some of her favorite places were Hawaii, where they would meet for R&R while Ted served two tours in Vietnam and later after they were both retired; Williamsburg, VA, where they had their first date and traveled to multiple times over the years; the beaches of Florida, where she would play as a child and brought her daughter to years later; all of the great cities of Europe (especially during the Christmas season so she could visit the Christmas markets) where she traveled while they were stationed in Germany; and the Caribbean so she could put her feet in the warm clear waters. Her love of gardening is evident in their gorgeous yard. From the bunches of day lilies that threaten to take over every year to the huge magnolia tree to the pine tree that she planted with her daughter and their dachshund Governor to the holly bushes, roses, hydrangea, crepe myrtles, azaleas and every other plant and flower that she selected with great care. Mary Carolyn & Ted have lived at their current home since 1979 and it was MC who made the house a true home and was proud to host the wedding of MP and Matt in October of 2021 in their home. The combination of her famous Southern hospitality and years as an Army wife made her the ultimate party hostess, thinking of all the small details that made each gathering a special moment in time. When MP and Matt had their larger wedding celebration in Williamsburg, VA in the spring this year, you could see her subtle touches all throughout the day. MC was a lifelong dog lover, having had more than 30 in her lifetime, and spoiled all the dogs she met, most notably her “grand dog” Freddie, a dachshund who has been on a diet for over a year due to her “accidental” drops of chicken, sausage, and filet from the dinner table. When MP married Matt, she welcomed shepherd mix Kendra with the same level of love and would call MP each day to ask how her babies were. As a 20+ year breast cancer survivor, Mary Carolyn was a great support system for those who were dealing with their own diagnoses, most recently supplying two recently diagnosed dear family friends with supplies that she had been given when she was diagnosed years ago. Mary Carolyn was an active member at Aldersgate United Methodist Church since joining in 1979. She loved the friendships she formed from being a member of Elizabeth Circle and participating in other activities at their church, including the annual bazaar and seasonal decorating. Mary Carolyn is survived by her husband Ted, her daughter MP, her son-in-law Matt Krouse and all the relatives and friends who loved her dearly.

Tributes

Mary Carolyn (Branch) Gay

October 2, 1934 - December 4, 2022