SARAH ANNIS GAY

Sarah Annis Gay, beloved wife and mother, went home to Heaven on Friday, June 29, 2012 in Rolla, MO. Sarah was born on May 26th, 1920 in Kansas City, MO, the daughter of Donald and Mary Simpson. She had one younger sister, Donna, who passed away shortly after birth. She was a 1937 graduate of Paseo High School in Kansas City. Sarah was a retired Personnel Specialist for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Throughout her career, she also worked in several other federal agencies, including the FAA and the United States Air Force. During her tenure with the Air Force she worked for the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) at Richards-Gebaur AFB and held a Top Secret Restricted clearance. While with FEMA she worked to establish and staff Disaster Field Offices on the site of disasters such as the Grand Island Tornado of 1980 and Hurricane Hugo in 1989 among many others. She was often called back after her retirement to help with large disasters. She also volunteered thousands of hours at Belton Research Hospital and the Belton Methodist Church offices. In 1951 she married Harold Gay and they moved to a farm south of Belton, MO. There they raised three surviving children, a daughter, Marilyn Breitenstein, wife of Charles Breitenstein, of Shawnee, KS, a son, Daniel Gay, husband of Halina Gay, of Lee's Summit, MO, and a second son, Steven (Gay) Grant, husband of Maria Grant of Rolla, MO. She is also survived by seven grandchildren - Jeff Breitenstein, Sarah Slaughter, Christopher Gray, Danna Gray, Jonathan Gray, Jessica Grant and Tyler Grant - and two great grandchildren - Anthony Breitenstein and Jared Slaughter. Sarah and Harold were married for 52 years before his death in 2004. She was a member of the Belton United Methodist Church (now Crossroads) since 1952. Sarah was a wonderfully kind, compassionate, and generous person who left the world a better place and she will be missed by everyone who knew her. Visitation for Sarah will be at 9:30 A.M., Thursday, July 5 at Crossroads United Methodist Church, 700 Quick Trip Way, Belton, MO. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. the same day. Sarah will be interred at Mount Moriah Cemetery in Kansas City, MO. Sarah loved flowers, but would also appreciate donations to Crossroads church or the Presbyterian Manors Good Samaritan Fund.

Arrangements by Cullen Funeral Home, Raymore, MO (816)322-5278