Lois Gail Cristea

COLUMBIA - Lois “Gail” Cristea passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by her family. She is preceded in death by her mother, Lois Lucille Schrecengost, and brothers, Randall Patterson Schrecengost, Jr. and Larry Boyd Schrecengost. She will be greatly missed by her family: Sister, Sally Lou Eichenlaub (Dale), Butler, PA, Daughter, Amy Gail Dix, Knoxville, TN; Sons, Simeon Nicholas “Sam” Cristea (Diana), Columbia, SC; Matthew “Joel” Cristea, Jonathan Andrew “Jonny” Cristea, Edgartown, MA, and Grandchildren, Ashlee Rose Cristea, Caleb Nicholas Cristea, and Abigayle McKenna Gantt. She leaves behind her partner of many years, Robert H. “Bob” Brient, Jr. Gail attended Slippery Rock State College, and subsequently graduated with her RN Degree from Butler Memorial Hospital School of Nursing in June 1959. Recently re-connected with a group of her Nursing School classmates, she looked forward to their weekly Zoom meetings. She spent 37 years as a Labor and Delivery RN and helped bring countless babies into this World. Her love of babies never waned… she was always using her considerable knitting and crocheting talents to make baby booties, hats, sweaters and blankets. An accomplished musician, Gail served as Church Organist at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Conway, SC, The Church of Our Savior Episcopal, Lincolnton, NC and All Souls Episcopal, Acme, NC. For her 84th Birthday, she played the organ at Shady Grove United Methodist Church, Irmo, SC. Gail owned, showed and trained Gaited horses. She won the title of Amateur Owned and Trained World Racking Horse Champion, and was the Sandlapper Horse Show Association’s Ladies’ Racking, and Open English Racking Champion multiple times, riding “The Happy Warrior”. From her first horse, Colonel to her most recent horse, Clint, Gail rescued and re-homed a herd of horses. She worked with and inspired many young riders over the years. To celebrate Gail’s life, and her love for horses, donations can be made to Big Oaks Rescue Farm 809 Townsend Rd., E Hodges, SC 29653 - https://www.bigoaksrescuefarm.org/ Memories may be shared at www.dunbarfunerals.com.