Gayle A. Wells

The daughter of John and Fammie Ellis Wells, Gayle was born July 12, 1945 in Houston. A graduate of C. E. King High School, Gayle spent most of her working career as property manager for the Raborn Building in Houston where she was a trusted friend, mentor, and confidant to many tenants and employees. A talented writer of poems, stories, and a screenplay, Gayle published a children’s book of short stories, entitled Sometimes Things Don’t Go the Way They Should.

Always loving and kind, Gayle’s greatest accomplishments involved her ability to embrace and care for her family, friends, and animals. As her sister Burta once described her, Gayle spent her life “trying to save the world”. Believing that all God’s creatures have a right to live, she took every opportunity to personally rescue many of them herself.

Gayle fought and defeated cancer three times before diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s. It is a tribute to her courage and spirit and to her loving caregiver that she was able to live at home until the very last stages of that disease.

Gayle was preceded in death by her mother, Fammie Wells; sister and dearest friend, Burta Raborn; brother, John Wells, Jr.; and nephews, Shayne Jamail and Jesse Patch. She will be sorely missed by her father John Wells, Sr.; sister, Dawn Jamail and husband, Jimmy; sister, Joy McGill; brother, Paul Wells and wife, Sandy; and brother, Mark Wells and wife, Melody; along with many nieces and nephews. She is also deeply mourned by her best friend, loving companion, and dedicated caregiver, Laura Sutherland.

The family would like to thank the staff at Colonial Oaks Memory Care Westchase and the A-Med Hospice nurses for their loving care.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Gayle Wells Foundation for Early Onset Alzheimer’s & Care at any Bank of America location, Citizens for Animal Protection (www.cap4pets.org), or St. Jude Children’s Hospital (www.stjude.org).

A celebration of Gayle’s life will be held at 10:30 AM on Saturday, September 24, 2011 at Earthman Bellaire Funeral Home, 6700 Ferris, Bellaire, TX 77401.