Gail Preston Hurst

A longtime advocate for children, Mrs. Hurst was moved to create Parents and Children Together following the child abuse death of a Tennessee toddler in the late 1970s. Serving at the time as project funding chair for the Junior Service League, she convinced the organization's board to create a child abuse prevention program and was appointed project chairman. She later took out a personal loan to get it off the ground, worked to obtain grants and other funding and built a coalition of area groups to build it into a model for other abuse prevention efforts.

In 1978, she served as PACT's first president, and she remained active in the organization for the next three decades. She also actively worked to convince the Alabama Legislature to establish the Alabama Children's Trust Fund. In addition, she was a founder of the Morgan County Child Advocacy Center and had served on its board of directors since 2003.

Over the years, Mrs. Hurst was honored numerous times for her contributions to child advocacy. PACT created the Gail Hurst Service Award as well as a scholarship in her honor. In 2004, Prevent Child Abuse Alabama presented her its Lifetime Volunteer Award. In addition, she was an associate member of the Decatur Assembly, which was formed to support PACT.

Mrs. Hurst also was an active member of Central United Methodist Church for more than 50 years. She helped found the church's Stephen Ministry as well as its HUGS Ministry.

Mrs. Hurst was born in Leesville, La., to Ralph and Vera Preston. She attended Centenary College, where she studied English. In 1956, she met James Earl Hurst while he was stationed in nearby Fort Polk, La. The two married and moved to Decatur in 1958. They celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary in April.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by daughters, Margaret Watts (Chip) of Hoover and Susan Salter of Wetumpka; sons, Preston Hurst (Leigh Ann) and Tom Hurst (Bonnie), all of Decatur; and 12 grandchildren.

The family thanks the following for their love and care, Dianna Holsomback, Shirley Pharris, Vicki Lee Drinkard and Melissa LeCroix.

The funeral will be today, May 8, at 3 p.m. at Central United Methodist Church in Decatur. The family will receive friends in the church fellowship hall from 1:30 to 2:45 p.m. before the service. The Rev. Gary Formby, the Rev. Hal Noble and the Rev. Ben Rountree officiating.

Pallbearers are Gray Hurst, J. Preston Hurst, Walt Kennemer, Alex Hurst, Chip Watts, Eddie Broyles, Jimmy Smith and Tommy Daniel

Mrs. Hurst's children will host a celebration of her life at 5 p.m. at Decatur Country Club.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial gifts be made to PACT at www.pactfamily.org or P.O. Box 1247, Decatur, AL 35602