Gay LaJuan Sanders Neill
June 1, 2022
Obituary
Gay LaJuan Sanders Neill, age 88, passed away peacefully on the 1st day of June 2022.
Gay was born in Roaring Springs, Texas on October 25, 1933, to Claude and Tommie Sanders. She always adored her older brother Don Mickey Sanders. Gay graduated from Muleshoe High School in 1951 where she was the Drum Major of the Majorettes, active in FHA, and played on the basketball team. She attended Texas Tech University and Baylor University until the tragic tornado struck Waco in May 1953.
A few months later, while working in Midland, she met the love of her life, George Hardin Neill. They married in 1954 and she relished her new role as a homemaker. For Gay, her life revolved around her family, and she was a devoted mother to her daughter, Cheryl, and son, George Michael. She excelled in making each of her houses a home and was an accomplished cook, seamstress, decorator, and hostess. Gay enjoyed gardening, reading, traveling, and playing games, where she always seemed to get the luckiest roll of the dice. She was known for her impeccable style. Gay was an active participant in several community groups, garden Clubs, and a faithful member of the Methodist church throughout her life.
The Neills called many places home during their fifty-two years of marriage including Midland, Lafayette, Pittsburg, and Ft. Worth before eventually retiring in Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas. Following her husband’s death in 2006, she moved to the Dallas area to be closer to her daughter and four grandchildren. She is survived by her children Cheryl Neill Ayers (Tom) of Dallas and George Michael Neill of Palm Springs, sister-in-law Wanda Sanders of Seminole, four grandchildren Thomas Neill Ayers (Jennifer), Jennifer Ayers Clifton (Jacob), Mary Kate Tomlinson (Jake), and Bekah Anne Hekele (Eric), numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews. She found the greatest joy in being “GayGay” to her nine greatgrandchildren: Hayes, Raylan, Georgia, Caroline, Mackenzie, Jack, Riley, Graham, and Neal. A memorial service will be held the 16th day of June 2022 at St. Andrew United Methodist Church in Plano, Texas at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made to the St. Andrew Retirement Ministry. Interment will be at the Oakwood Cemetery in Austin at a future date.
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"On behalf of my family, I wanted you to know how much we appreciate your handling of my husband's final arrangements. Wayne Baxter assisted & guided us through the entire process with such care & compassion. Don't know what we would have done without him! Sincerely, Colleen Elledge"
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"My Daddy’s service and our family experience at Aria Northwest Highway was truly blessed. Funeral Director Dustin Martin is the kind of person that you would like to see on a more regular basis – but in his industry – you hope to not see him that often. That being said – THANK YOU DUSTIN for your unending kindness, compassion and friendship through the process. Meeting you and discussing Dallas History, Find A Grave and my Dad’s lifelong contributions to the great City of Dallas was simply wonderful! In memory of my dad James A. Dodd, Sr. – I want to personally thank you and let you know that you made everything better in that moment. Your calling to “Be There” is spot on. Aria has a one in a million guy in you! Bling Blinky of TEXAS Shout Out: God Bless You!!"
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My most sincere condolences to the family. Gay was my cousin. Her mother Tommie and my Dad Billy Phillips were half brother and sister. They shared the same mother, Myrtle Tarrant Phillips. I’m sure I probably met her at family reunions, but I was born in 1955, and there was a big age difference. My Dad, Billy was born in 1931 and just a few years older than her. He passed away in 2005. They had a big family in those days and there was always a lot of laughter and memories being shared at those reunions, as I recall. Families stayed closer to home too. Much love to you all – Susie Phillips Alldredge