Kay Walla

G. Kay Kennard Walla, of Indianapolis, Indiana, lived a life defined by love, service, and an unwavering commitment to others. She believed deeply in being a light in the world—offering encouragement, compassion, and steady care to everyone she encountered. To know Kay was to feel seen, supported, and unconditionally loved.

Kay was born on May 2, 1938, in Akron, Ohio. From an early age, she showed a deep love for learning and a natural calling toward education. She began first grade at five years old and went on to graduate as valedictorian of her class in 1955.

At just 17, she and her cousin took a Greyhound bus from her Appalachian home to the big city of Columbus, Ohio, where she began working as a typist. Within months, she enrolled at Ohio University, setting in motion a lifelong path in education and leadership.

Kay married her high school sweetheart, Carl Trusty, in 1956. When he was drafted into the U.S. Army, she courageously went along, and their first daughter, Teresa, was born in Frankfurt, Germany, in 1959. After returning to the United States, Kay taught school in her hometown, Wakefield, Ohio, while continuing to pursue her education, working full time and raising her young family which now included their second daughter, Carla.

She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Ohio University, followed by a Master’s in Reading Education and ultimately a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Over the course of a remarkable career spanning more than three decades, Kay served as a teacher, principal, professor, and educational leader. She taught across multiple grade levels, trained future educators, and held leadership roles including Principal of Houston Elementary School in Cincinnati and Director of the William Holmes McGuffey Laboratory School at Miami University. Her work shaped countless students, teachers, and communities.

In 1982, Kay married the love of her life, Gary, and gained two bonus sons, Mark and Tom. Kay and Gary built a life centered on love, purpose, and connection, deeply aligned in their values, their faith, and their shared commitment to serving others.

The two were inseparable. Kay and Gary co-founded Hearts and Hope for Haiti, a foundation that supports medical students, a clinic, schools, and an orphanage—extending their care and compassion far beyond the immediate community. Together, they also became dedicated volunteers with the American Red Cross, responding to disasters at all hours and providing care to those in crisis across both local and national settings. Through St. Luke’s United Methodist Church, they led World Missions efforts and participated in dozens of service projects around the world. They supported many institutions of higher education including establishing the Gertrude Kennard McGuffey Scholarship for aspiring teachers at Miami University.

Kay found joy and meaning in life’s simple moments—time with her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and extended family; traveling; reading; gardening; quilting; sewing; teaching; and serving her faith community. She had a remarkable way of collecting people wherever she went, forming lasting connections and friendships that spanned decades and distance. She sent hundreds of Christmas cards each year, a reflection of the relationships she so intentionally nurtured.

For over 40 years, Kay and Gary hosted family and friends on their houseboat, Ruff-n-it, their summer home on Brookville Lake. It became a gathering place filled with laughter, stories, and connection—an extension of Kay’s generous spirit and her gift for making everyone feel at home.

To Kay, everyone was family. She lived with an open heart, welcoming others in and loving them as her own. Her family, in turn, was the center of her world. She celebrated each generation with pride and deep devotion, embodying in both word and action her belief that family is everything.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Gertrude and Charlie Kennard; her sister, Francis “Blue” Craig (Ray); and her son, Mark Walla (Anjo).

She is survived by her beloved husband, Gary Walla; her daughters, Teresa Abrams (David), Carla Trusty-Smith (Brian); and her son, Tom Walla (Jo); her grandchildren, Greg Abrams (Jeannette), Kristi Tyler (Billy), Lauren Smith (Brian), Isaac Smith (Kylie), Luke Smith (Vincenzo), Aiden Walla, and Annika Walla; as well as many great- and bonus-grands (Connor, Logan, Sofia, Kyana, Kamari, Aithen, Ben, and Hannah). She is also lovingly remembered by many nieces, nephews, students, and dear friends and colleagues whose lives she touched.

Kay’s legacy is one of love in action. She led, she taught, she served—but above all, she loved. Her light continues in the lives she shaped and in the family she so cherished.

Visitation will be held on Friday, April 24, 2026 from 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM followed by a service at 2:00 PM at St. Luke's United Methodist Church, 100 W. 86th St., Indianapolis, Indiana.