Norma Hollingsworth Gay

Norma Gay nee Hollingsworth passed away on July 6th, 2023 at Graceland at Garden Ridge assisted living center. She was born on January 7th, 1926 in Fort Worth to Christopher and Delia (Whitt) Hollingsworth. As a child, she was known by her middle name, Violet. When her father had difficulty finding work during the Depression, he moved the family to his birthplace at the Hollingsworth family homestead near Spicewood. When their home there was flooded out by the completion of Lake Travis in 1942, the family was forced to move again; to a ranch on the San Gabriel River near Georgetown.

Soon after graduation from high school in 1944, Norma went to work in California as an aircraft inspector. When WWII ended, she returned to Texas where she married Joseph Marcus “Mark” Brown. Their first child, Patricia, was born while Mark was completing his degree at Auburn University in Alabama. They lived in Austin for several years and a son, Riley, was born there.

After brief stays in Richardson, Texas and Monroe, Louisiana, Norma and Mark settled in Corpus Christi where Mark worked for many years as the electrical and mechanical engineer for the grocery chain HEB. They were active members of the First Presbyterian Church. A third child, Tanya, was born in Corpus Christi.

When HEB moved their headquarters to San Antonio in 1985, Norma and family relocated there and were active members of Madison Square Presbyterian Church. After Mark died in 2003, she married Arthur Clyde Gay and became active in the Northern Hills United Methodist Church. Norma was active in the Old Trail Drivers Association of Texas and the State Association of Texas Pioneers. In 2005 she was Honorary Lady Chairwoman of the Texas Pioneers Annual Patriotic and Historic Ball and rode in the Texas Pioneers carriage in the Battle of Flowers Parade in San Antonio.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husbands, sisters Naomi Hand and Christine Brown, and brother Foy Hollingsworth.

She is survived by children Patricia (Glenn) Merkord of Conroe, Riley (Vicki) Brown of Corpus Christi, and Tanya (Mark) Garrison of New Braunfels; eight grandchildren; and fifteen great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be at Sunset Funeral Home, 1701 Austin Highway, San Antonio from 4 to 6 PM on July 30th. A funeral service will be held at Noon on July 31st, followed by interment at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.