Gailee W Harlan

Gailee (Gail) W. Harlan passed away peacefully on November 19, 2023. She was born December 8, 1934 in San Antonio, Texas to the late John Thaddeus Watts and Alice Hungerford Watts. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of almost 40 years, Dr. Thomas M. Harlan. She was also preceded in death by her daughter, Mary Beth Lopez. She is survived by her daughter, Sherri Thorington (John), her daughter, Joy Massey (Bud), and her grandchildren Emily Thorington, Kate Thorington, Logan Lopez, Lauren Lopez, Zack Massey and Jeff Massey.

Gail grew up in Wilmington, North Carolina, where she attended New Hanover High School, before moving with her parents to Clearwater in 1951 and graduating from Clearwater High School in 1952. She attended Florida State University where she was a member of the Phi Mu Sorority. She remained a Florida State football fan throughout her life and she also enjoyed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While in college she worked for two summers at the Bigwin Inn in Canada. In the 1950s and 1960s she worked as a dental assistant in Clearwater, and she also appeared on local television in the 1950s on the “Howard the Trader” show.

Gail met her husband Dr. Thomas M. Harlan at a church gathering and they were married September 27, 1958. She was totally devoted to the care and support of her husband and three daughters. She was very involved in the PTA and the Girl Scouts when her girls were growing up, and she was also involved for a number of years in the local Chiropractic Auxiliary and the Gideons Auxiliary. She was very active in various capacities for many years at Skycrest Baptist Church, including longtime service in the Skycrest nursery ministry. At the time of her death she was a member of North Dunedin Baptist Church.

Visitation will be November 25, 2023, at 11:00 am, followed by a memorial service at noon, at Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park & Funeral Home, Clearwater. In lieu of flowers, please make donations for Bibles through Gideons International at: sendtheword.org