Andrew Carlton Gay was born on Sept. 25, 1931 in the Whitefield Community, Ripley TN. He went to be with the Lord on Feb 10, 2023. He was preceded in death by mother and father, Brittie Craig Gay and Thomas Edward Gay, his brother, Tom Ed Gay, and sisters, Eddieree Gay Porter, Berrnice Gay Tucker, Emma Laura Gay Sluder, Rosemary Gay Stinson, and Vivian Gay Phillips.
He is survived by his loving wife of sixty-eight years, Maxine Sellers Gay. He is also survived by three children: his son, Drew Gay and his wife, Jennifer of Memphis; daughters, Elizabeth Anne Gay Henderson and husband, Don Coldren of Nashville; and Susanna Marie Gay Hathcock and husband, Tim Hathcock of Ripley.
He is also survived by seven grandchildren: Kayla McCauley, Brittie Henderson, Kaitlin Gay, Caroline Gay, Carlton Gay Baites, Timothy Hathcock, and Hannah Hathcock, and four great-grandchildren: Eli McCauley, Kadyn McCauley, Ivy Henderson, and Sophie Henderson.
Carlton was Veteran of the Korean War, and was a Prisoner of War for 33 months. He started farming at a very young age, plowing a field by himself at the age of ten. His father was ill and Carlton dropped out of school many times to put in or harvest a crop in his father’s absence. He continued the rest of his life loving and working the farm he was raised on.
Sitting on the back porch with Maxine, looking at the farm and his horses was his favorite thing to do in later years. He was a life-long horse man, riding well into his 8o’s.
Carlton was a devoted husband, loving father and grandfather, friend and mentor to many, and faithful member of Whitefield Assembly of God Church where he served in many capacities over the years.
A funeral service will be held at 3:00 P.M. on Saturday, February 18, 2023 at Whitefield Assembly of God in Ripley, Tennessee with burial to follow. The family will receive visitors from 1:00 P.M. until the service hour at the church. Garner Funeral Home of Ripley has charge of the services.
