Gayl D. Kay OBITUARY

Gayl Kay passed away Sunday, June 2. Gayl had been living at the Gardens of Riverside Memory Care Home since 2020. Her death was due to complications brought about by Alzheimer’s Disease.Gayl was born in Kalamazoo Michigan. However, she spent her early years living in California, Oklahoma and Iowa. Her father, Harold Harding (“Wink”) Winneke, d. 1994, was a Chief Hospital Corpsman during WWII and the Korean War. He petitioned for his family, wife Lois Gwendolyn, d. 2005, and three children, Gayl, Jennifer Francis, d. 2019, and brother Jeffrey Ray 1949-, to relocate to Subic Bay, Philippines for a year and a half.After the war, Gayl resided and grew up in Santa Ana, CA and later Tustin, CA. She enjoyed family gatherings and spending time with her cousin Sandra Wells (Hodges). She attended Valley High School through her Junior year, and after moving to Tustin, she graduated Tustin High School in 1963. During her youth, Gayl was a member of Job’s Daughters and loved Hollywood Westerns.Gayl is an alumnus of Santa Ana College, worked at Sears when it first opened at South Coast Plaza, and attended California State College, Fullerton until she had her first child in 1968.Largely a homemaker through the 1970’s, Gayl found her way into small business management during the 1980’s working for Pacific Clippings. It was at Pacific Clippings where Gayl would remain as manager until retirement in 2014.A life-long Trekkie, Gayl absorbed all things Star Trek. Each time the newest movie opened in the theaters, Gayl was in line to get in. When The Next Generation aired on T.V., the Kay household tuned in each week.In her later years, Gayl dabbled in quilting, attended Calvary Chapel with friend Donna Duncan, read anything and everything by Louis Lamour, and enjoyed short vacations with her brother and life long friend Susan Lough Stepp. Gayl’s close network of friends also included Emily Hanson and Jeannie Jackson.Gayl is survived by brother Jeffrey, sons Carson (Anna Kaplan), and Trevor (Trevy), and grandchild Hal Kaplan.