Mary Gayle Newman - June 15, 1941 - July 15, 2011

I’d like to tell you a true story.


Once upon a time, not so long ago, there was a woman, a daughter, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a friend by the name of Mary Gayle Newman. She was small in stature, but large in presence and beloved by all who knew her. This was because she knew how to capture the light, and share it with others. Mary Gayle was a natural born painter. With gentle, confident ease, she would capture the colorful spectrum of light and transform a stark, white, plain surface. She’d dab a little color here, and there and there, and bring out an image of birds sitting on a fence, fruit overflowing the rim of a bowl, the sky kissing the horizon of the sea. With such a talent, some might even say a, “gift from God”, they may have wondered why she painted so rarely.

Perhaps it was because her gift of capturing the light extended far beyond the limits of the paintbrush. With gentle, confident ease, Mary Gayle would capture the light, filling average, plain days with brightness; thereby creating precious moments for all. She brought people together to share in the bounties of life through the enjoyment of good food, meaningful friendships, stimulating conversations and most especially laughter. In this way, Mary Gayle “painted cherished memories” in the hearts of all who knew her. Through her actions as a hostess in her home, or a volunteer in the broad realm of her community, Mary Gayle illuminated the blessings and comfort given and received through the loving relationships we have with others during our lifetimes. An only child with few living relatives, she created not only for herself, but also for others, a family of aunts, uncles, sisters, brothers, nieces and nephews of the heart.

Her valiant struggle with cancer was truly courageous. She was never one to complain, ever. When asked how she was doing her standard answer was “I’m fine” or, “about the same.” Often in the later months, this was not so true, but she did not want to worry others. Her desire for self reliance and independence was challenged as the cancer worsened in the later months. The growing pain and loss of energy brought sadness to her wise eyes, yet still, she was there with a ready hug, a bit of wisdom and a kind smile.

Someone once said, “God didn’t promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for tears, and light for the way.” If that is true, and I believe it is, then Mary Gayle was gifted at carrying some of that light to those who were fortunate to know her.

Once upon a time, not so long ago, there was woman, a daughter, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a friend by the name of Mary Gayle Newman. She knew how to capture the light and share it with others. She brought the presence of love, was loved deeply in return and will be missed dearly.