Gay Nell Dees Walker

Music filled Gay’s heart and home and she’s never stopped singing. From an early age, Gay played piano and sang at church, continuing even as an adult by leading praise and worship music at St. Thomas for a time in the mid 1990’s. Her children rarely remember a time growing up when Gay didn’t play the latest pop tunes by ear on the piano that Ferdie bought her early in their marriage. Even extended family members remember singing around the piano during gatherings at Gay’s house. Gay’s personal favorites came from her old Rodgers and Hammerstein songbook, but also included jazz standards, pop, and praise and worship music. In the late 1980’s and early 90’s, Gay was director of the Gulf Coast Sweet Adelines, an all- female barbershop-style group that competed regionally and nationally. Her love of music impacted the entire family, and even those with less than perfect pitch felt compelled to join in when she led them from the bench of her piano. Until cancer kept her out of the hot kitchen, Gay never missed an opportunity to celebrate holidays with family by cooking something special. One could always count on a full spread at holidays, a tradition passed to her from her mother, Irene Dees. Whether it was Gay’s chocolate crinkles at Christmas, her pineapple-pecan cheeseball at parties, or the special way she made her potato salad, Gay always knew how to spread the love through food. Her love of cooking was shared not only with her children, but her grandchildren as well, even attending cake decorating classes with granddaughter Gracie. Gay infected everyone with her smile, warmth, and kind-nature. Her last days were spent at home enjoying time with Ferdie and family visitors, eating and watching some of her favorite kind of television- home remodeling. Gay passed unexpectedly and suddenly, thankfully without pain and with family at her side. It has been said there is no perfect life. But one can imagine that living with the husband you love, raising so many children and grandchildren, and making things in the world a little warmer and kinder with a song, is probably as close as Gay or anyone could have come. She was preceded in death by her parents, Crawford and Irene Dees of Pascagoula, MS. She is survived by the love-of-her life, Ferdinand “Ferdie” Walker, an architect in Gulfport whose office she also managed ten years. Within the last week, Gay told her children how she couldn’t imagine life without the support of Ferdie, who was her constant companion, care-giver, confidant, and soul-mate. “I love that man, he has been incredible”, she said. Gay is also survived by her sisters Diane McKinney, Lou Ellen Hoffman, Martha Coody, Lois Mark, and her brother Donald P. Dees. Gay was able to raise and love her children, F.B. “Rusty” Walker, IV, David Scott Walker, and Stacy Leigh Seal; grandchildren, Sarah Layne Walker, Emiley Loring Walker Korte, Brandon Dees Seal, Ashleigh Marie Seal Anderson, Zachary Tyler Seal, Anna Grace “Gracie” Seal; and, great-grandchildren Jayden Alexander Mitchell Cooley, Madison Louise Cooley, Landon Karter Seal, Conner Luke Korte, Walker Lance Korte, Sawyer Liam Normand, Michael Allen Anderson, and Blakeleigh Nicole Anderson. Visitation will be held Thursday, July 28, 2016 from 6:00-8:00 P.M. at Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home, 15th Street, Gulfport. The funeral service is Friday, July 29, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. in the funeral home chapel. The graveside will follow at 3:00 p.m. at MachPelah Cemetery in Pascagoula.