The funeral mass will be held at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church on Tuesday, June 7, 2022, at 10:00 AM. Interment will follow at Forest Lawn Cemetery and all are welcome.
Mary Gay was born in Rochester, New York on September 13, 1934 to Edward Killian Halbleib and Harriett (Coots) Halbleib. She graduated from Brighton High School in 1952 and attended Ohio Wesleyan. She graduated in 1956 with a BA in Education. After teaching in Rochester for a few years, Mary Gay married the love of her life, Donald “Don” James Brady, on July 5, 1958.
After working and living in Buffalo, New York, where Mary Gay continued to teach and to build a “nest egg” to help Don and herself follow their dream of owning their own business. Mary Gay and her late (passed away on June 18, 2021) husband, Don, moved to Greensboro in 1962 to found their franchise, Brady Trane.
Mary Gay held many community leadership roles, served on numerous boards, and started community action-based organizations that are the fabric of Greensboro today. Mary Gay was a strong supporter of many charities and non-profits, including, Catholic Newman Centers, JDRF, Habitat for Humanity, Sanctuary House, and the ALS Association. She was incredibly dedicated to the pursuit of education and was a strong supporter of local arts. She supported education initiatives at universities such as Ohio Wesleyan and UNC-G. Mary Gay’s support of the arts in Greensboro included the Weatherspoon Gallery, the Green Hill Art Gallery, the Rotary Carousel, and the Tanger Center for Performing Arts. Mary Gay always thought big and sought to solve problems she found in her community not just for herself but for everyone around her.
Mary Gay’s favorite moments in life were those she could spend surrounded by her family and friends. Summers spent in Topsail and winters in Blowing Rock are amongst some of the most cherished memories shared by her grandchildren, where they would often participate in “cousin’s camps” facilitated by Mary Gay and Don. Grandma Mary Gay deeply valued the new perspectives gained from travel where she never failed to make new friends along the way. While at home, her children and grandchildren would often find her cooking, writing to a friend, especially “Thank You Notes”, creating travel scrapbooks, and working on her photography. Mary Gay’s love for the arts and education pushed her to obtain a second BA in Fine Arts from UNC-Greensboro in 1985.
Mary Gay is survived by her five children, Ann Leigh & Billy Flynt, Louise & Jim Brady, Mary Kate & Danny Farley, Joe Brady, and Amy Brady & Mike Baxter; two nieces, Anne and Meg Brady; fourteen grandchildren; one great-grandchild; two great-nieces and two great-nephews; and all of those who she considered her family. She was preceded in death by her parents, Edward and Harriett Halbleib and her husband of 63 years, Don.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in her memory to Sanctuary House, JDRF, Our Lady of Grace, or AuthoraCare.
Online condolences may be sent to www.haneslineberryfuneralhomes.com.
