Howard Gay

GAY, Howard L., age 90, of Fenton, died Friday, February 29, 2008 at McLaren Regional Medical Center. Funeral services will be 5PM Sunday, March 2, 2008 at Sharp Funeral Homes, Fenton Chapel, 1000 Silver Lake Rd., Fenton. Visitation will be Sunday 3PM until time of service at the funeral home. Interment will be 12:30PM Monday at Great Lakes National Cemetery, Holly. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Flint Cultural Center Corporation. Howard was born in Flint, the son of Harold and Hazel (Neale) Gay. He married his beloved Zella in 1940 and together they had three children. He was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, serving from 1943 to 1946 as 1st Lt., Navigator (B-24). He was employed as a young man by Sears, A.D.T., Buick, the National Bank of Flint and Grand Blanc Tank Plant, among others. He joined Citizens Bank in 1946 as an Assistant Cashier and remained with Citizens until he retired in 1983 as President and Vice Chairman of the Board. He was a member of many trade activities including the Flint Board of Realtors, the Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Flint, the Michigan Bankers Mortgage Committee, the Governors Mortgage Bankers Association of Michigan and the American Bankers Association. He was also a member of the 100 Club, the Flint City Club, the University Club and the Ostego Ski Club, and served as President of both Warwick Hills and Flint Golf Club. Howard was the author of several business publications, and continued to write his memoirs and several short stories until shortly before his death. In 2005,  he established The Howard L. and Zella M. Gay Family Foundation to provide ongoing support for the Flint Cultural Center Corporation. Surviving are his 3 children, Dr. Richard L. Gay and wife, Judi; Janice L. Jasper; Michael L. Gay and wife, Yvonne. Also surviving are granddaughter, Alice Jasper, and 2 sisters, Thelma Zembo of Grand Blanc and Betty Dresden of Goodrich. He was preceded in death by his wife Zella in 2004; his parents; and 2 brothers, Harold and John. Online condolences and tributes may be posted on the obituaries page of www.sharpfuneralhomes.com