Ervin C. Gay

MADISON/MARSHALL- My husband, our father and grandpa, Ervin C. Gay, passed away per his wishes, peacefully on his farm after a long and courageous battle with cancer on Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2018.  Ervin was born May 28, 1932, to Thaddeus and Helen Gay in Withee, Wis.  His love for farming and organic gardening started on his parent’s Lone Oak farm in Owen, Wis.  He graduated from Owen High School (in Clark County) in 1950, and then attended River Falls College.  Family always came first to Erv, demonstrated by his need to leave college early to help out his father on the farm after a major injury.  He was then drafted by the U.S. Army in 1952, during the Korean engagement.  Following his military service, he returned to Wisconsin to get a business degree from Madison Business College and served as an accountant at both the Rayovac Corporation and the University Bookstore. On July 28, 1962, he married “his first wife”, Judith M. DeFries at St. Rita’s Church in Racine.  They made their home with their six children on Madison’s east side.  Erv and Judy’s philosophy was that there was always room for more, opening their home to many foster children from Dane County and several AFS students from around the world.  Erv hoped to be a role model to these children on how to be a good spouse, husband, father, and leader in the community.  Erv and Judy endorsed the philosophy of giving back, volunteering at St. Dennis Catholic Church and school and participating in multiple mission trips to help the less fortunate in Okolona, Miss., and a Navajo reservation in Arizona. In 1986, Erv and Judy opened Lakeview Manor on Monona Drive; a Community-Based Residential Facility (CBRF) for the elderly, until they sold the CBRF in 1997, and retired to their own retirement home at their farmette near Marshall.  Erv had many talents that were able to shine at the farmette.  From organic gardening, wood working, apple orchard and raspberry patch harvesting and care, to being able to fix anything and everything on the farm with his skills, tools, and a mountain of “saved” supplies organized in his five barns. He kept busy.  Erv prided himself on rarely ever needing to go to the hardware store though he was addicted to the tool department at Farm and Fleet.  He was proud of his Polish ancestry, had a quick wit, and enjoyed a good Polish joke.   Some of Erv’s other talents were whistling, playing a serious game of cards with his St. Dennis poker buddies and others, feeding song birds and imitating their songs, playing the harmonica, and eating Judy’s food.  He loved camping, whether it was a cross country trek pulling a trailer or just going to the Family Land in Dodgeville.  Erv lived for his kids and grandkids and their accomplishments.  This was especially true during his battle with cancer as there was no stronger medicine for pain than a grandkid on the phone or his lap.  Erv is survived by his wife of 55 years, Judith; and his six children, Mary Jude (Chris) Doerpinghaus  of Dublin, Calif., Julie (Geary) Beyler of Madison, Michael Gay of Madison, Thomas Gay of Marshall, Laura (Daryle) Cohrs of Cypress, Texas, and Judah (Christy) Nyden of Annapolis, Md.; and his ten grandchildren, Allison and Evan Doerpinghaus, Nicole and Nathan Beyler, Madyson, Ashlyn, Chandlyr, and Austyn Cohrs, and Aubrey and Kattrin Nyden.  He is also survived by his two sisters; Darlene Braun and Shirley Gay; his sisters-in-law, Marilyn Gay, Mary Margaret (Sissy) Mueller, Faith Schulte, and Becky DeFries; numerous nieces and nephews; and some of the dearest friends a man could have.  Erv was preceded in death by his parents; his two brothers, Ernie and Ted Gay Jr.; his three brothers-in-law, Art Braun, Bob DeFries, and Bob Mueller; and by Judy’s parents. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at ST DENNIS CATHOLIC CHURCH, 505 Dempsey Road, Madison, at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 8, 2018.  Visitation will be held at the church from 9 a.m. until the time of the Mass on Monday.  Following Mass there will be an interment at Highland Memory Gardens in Cottage Grove and a luncheon at the Parish Hall of St. Dennis.  The family would like to thank the VA Hospital and Clinics and SSM Home Health United Hospice for their exceptional care, and friends and neighbors for their thoughtfulness and hugs.  In lieu of flowers and plants, the family would suggest memorials be made to St. Dennis School, the SSM Home Health United Hospice, and a Wisconsin chapter of the Badger Honor Flight that he so much appreciated.