Gayla Blancher Sappingfield

Gayla Blancher Sappingfield, beloved mother, wife, and friend, passed away on Saturday, February 17th, 2024, in Cypress, TX. Born in Long Beach, CA, to Lloyd and Patricia Blancher, Gayla grew up in Los Alamitos, where she developed a deep passion for animals, notably her cherished Arabian horse, Sinbad. Her independent spirit and desire to forge her own path led her to pioneer the business, the ‘Millionaire’s Club’ in Southern California.

Gayla's journey of love and family began with the birth of her first child, Andre. She later married the love of her life, George Sappingfield. From there, she had two more children, son Dillon and daughter Nicole. For Gayla, family was paramount; she often expressed that motherhood was her life's purpose.

The Sappingfield family's adventures took them from Southern California to the Midwest, where Gayla became a beloved daycare owner and breeder of golden retrievers. Her entrepreneurial spirit later guided her back into sales, culminating in the launch of a cell phone business with her husband.

Returning to Southern California in the late '90s, the family settled in Norco, a setting that allowed Gayla to reconnect with her childhood love of Arabian horses. There, she and her husband George continued to raise their three children, and provided a home where their children’s friends would often come and spend time. They loved listening and sowing into the many people who would pass through their front door, offering guidance and support to many. Her passion for animals also led her to Arabian horse rescue, where she forged more relationships and saved more lives.

Gayla's legacy is carried on by her children, Andre, Dillon, and Nicole; her siblings, Lisa, Randy, and Kathie; and the many lives she touched, from California, to South Dakota, to Texas and beyond. She was preceded in death by her parents, Lloyd and Patricia, and her husband, George.

A funeral service will be held at Pierce Brothers Crestlawn Memorial Park in Riverside, California, on Saturday, March 16th at 10:00 AM, followed by a celebration of life in Corona thereafter.

A big thank you to all the friends and family who have shown their love and support over the years, both in person, from afar, physically, spiritually, and everything in between. Your displays of love are reflections of Mom’s true self, and with that, that true self lives on.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.