Mary Winifred Lindsay Gill

"Winifred Lindsay Gill was born on December 3, 1922 in Centreville Mississippi. She passed away peacefully at her home in Baton Rouge on January 11, 2018 with her family at her side. Winnie grew up in the small town of Norwood LA where she attended Norwood High School. At graduation she received the American Legion medal for courage, honor, leadership, patriotism and service. She entered Southeastern Louisiana College in Hammond LA and then transferred to Louisiana Tech in Ruston LA where, on the first day of school, she met her future husband James Monroe Gill. They graduated in 1943, and married in July of that year. After the war, they made their home in Baton Rouge. In 1957, Ethyl Corporation transferred them to Walnut Creek CA for James to build a new Ethyl plant in Richmond CA. They were both active in the Walnut Creek Presbyterian Church and Winnie helped open a tea room supporting the Contra Costa Children's Hospital, a volunteer project that gave her much joy. The family returned to Baton Rouge in 1965. Active in politics, Winnie volunteered in support of her candidates and became a devoted fan of Brian Lamb and his show on C-Span. Winnie made the front page of the Wall Street Journal, Wednesday, June 13, 1984 after meeting with Brian Lamb at his studio in Washington DC. They met again in Houston TX during the Republican Convention when Brian Lamb invited her to visit the C-Span studio on site. Winnie was a charter member of the Board of Trustees of the Clara Barton Society of the Baton Rouge Red Cross. In addition to presenting Clara 'in character,' on several occasions, Winnie worked to furnish the Board Room, including traveling to Washington DC to secure a portrait of Clara Barton to display in Clara's honor. She loved her church, First Presbyterian, was active in the women's groups, and honored with a lifetime membership. She was president of the Lecture Sunday School class as well as F.A.S. (Fun After Sixty) Crowd for many years. Winnie was a member of the Baton Rouge Junior League, La Lecture Book Club, Baton Rouge Area Foundation, LSU Museum of Art, Charity Ball, Baton Rouge Arts and Science Museum, LSU Hilltop Arboretum and the Baton Rouge Symphony, serving on the Boards of several over the years. In 1999, Winnie received the Volunteer Activist Award, presented by the Baton Rouge Speech and Hearing Foundation and in 2015, the Baton Rouge Symphony honored her for Lifetime Achievement. Winnie also volunteered at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center for 17 years, remembering the wonderful volunteers at MD Anderson Hospital in Houston TX where her husband was a patient for 8 years. She loved her home and her flowers, which her faithful friend and housekeeper Della Mae Simpson helped her with for over 47 years. Winnie is survived by her daughter Jane Gill of Baton Rouge, daughter Wyn Gill Spiller and her husband Steven T. Spiller, of Nevada City CA, three grandchildren, Lindsay C. Spiller, Venice CA, Katherine S. Spiller, Austin TX, and Ross B. Spiller, San Francisco CA, niece Anita L. Walker, Baton Rouge, nephew Charles T. Lindsay, Willis TX. She was preceded in death by her husband James Monroe Gill, brother Louis R. Lindsay, nephew Louis R. Lindsay Jr. and parents Winifred Bailey Lindsay and Louis Wilmer Lindsay. Winnie's mother Winifred Bailey came from Pavenham, England when she was 15. Although she died at a young age, Winnie often spoke of how her mother lived, helping and serving others, setting an example that Winnie followed throughout her own life with grace and generosity. Services will be held on Tuesday, January 16 at First Presbyterian Church in Baton Rouge: Visitation 10 am- 11 am, Service 11 am with a reception following. There will be a private burial in Norwood LA. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the First Presbyterian Church Foundation, Baton Rouge Area Foundation, or Hospice of Baton Rouge.