Gay Foley Laverty, 91, died Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020, at Settler’s Park in Baker City, Ore.
She was born June 6, 1929, to Wayne C. and Isabelle (Freeburn) Foley in Pomeroy.
Gay earned her high school diploma from Greenleaf Friends Academy in Idaho in 1947, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at George Fox College in Newberg, Ore., in 1952, and a Bachelor of Science degree from Southern Oregon College in Ashland in 1955. She taught second and third grades in Sherwood, Ore., from 1957 to 1959 and then applied to teach overseas with the Air Force Dependents School on Wheelus Air Base in Tripoli, Libya. It was there she met an airman, Michael Laverty, who proposed marriage on their first date. They were both transferred to Sembach AFB in West Germany, where they married in 1961. Their children were born there, Kevin in 1962 and Maura in 1965. Gay and Mike returned to the U.S. in 1965. She taught in Klamath Falls, Ore., and Rantoul, Ill., then became a substitute teacher on Pope AFB in North Carolina and in Clarkston.
Gay was raised in the Friends Church as a Quaker, but later became a Methodist in 1974, faithfully serving the Clarkston UMC as a Sunday school teacher, SS superintendent, UM Women President, Circle Chair and various committees’ member.
Gay loved to travel, taking advantage of teaching overseas to visit all of the countries adjacent to where she taught school, including France, Italy and the Netherlands and, after retiring in Clarkston, traveled to Canada, Ireland, England, Wales and Japan. She especially enjoyed the Alpine Europe trip with George Fox University alumni to see the Passion Play in Oberammergau in 2010. Of course, she also traveled all over the United States.
Gay loved God, setting the example to all how to live as a Christian and telling the other residents at Settler’s Park in Memory Care that God loved them and so did she.
Gay is survived by her son, Kevin (Angela), of Apollo Beach, Fla.; daughter Maura, of Baker City, Ore.; sister Jean Aitken, of Kamiah; numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews and extended family members.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Mike, in 2015; parents; and brothers Dean, Michael and Jack.
A memorial service will be held next summer at the Clarkston United Methodist Church when it is safe for everyone to be together. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the charity of one’s choice in Gay’s memory.
Gay left us with this quote: “It’s been a wonderful life, with opportunities of working and traveling in a variety of areas. Meeting interesting people and making friends from all walks of life has been enriching. God has blessed me with a wonderful family and friends.”
