Norma Gay Davidson-Zielske (nee Prewett)

Norma Gay Davidson-Zielske (nee Prewett)

April 23, 1950 - August 21, 2023

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Obituary

MADISON - Norma Gay Davidson-Zielske (nee Prewett), age 73, of Madison, Wis., passed away peacefully on Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, at Badger Prairie Health Care Center in Verona, after several years of complex physical and mental health challenges. A special thanks from the family to the compassionate Badger Prairie care teams and Agrace HospiceCare staff, UW Health Social Work, Dane County first responders, Dane County Journey/Crisis Team Workers, neighbors and community members, who assisted the family in finding meaningful safety and care options for Gay.


Gay was born on April 23, 1950, to Bonnie Ethel Sublett and Loren Elmo Prewett in Arkansas, the fourth of their seven children. Gay is survived by her husband, Kenneth Zielske; son, Alexander Zielske (Nikki Barnes); her sisters, Pat Hall of Springfield, Mo, Bonita Sue Lake of Fitchburg, Wis., Donna Amburgey (Glynn) of St. Charles, Ill., and Angela Emanuel (Neil) of Machesney Park, Ill.; her many nieces and nephews and their children; and an expansive community of caring friends and colleagues. Gay was preceded in death by her beloved mother and father; brother, Marx; and sister, Jeanett.


Gay was a creative and passionate spirit, a poet and ‘bon vivant’, who pursued many successful artistic accomplishments, including creative writing, radio (WORT-FM, WPR), film, music, painting, and many more. Gay was a graduate of Northern Illinois University and a committed teacher for 30 years at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. She was a staunch advocate for social justice, and was active whenever possible. Gay was a proud mother and wife, and she will be dearly missed by all who knew her kind spirit.


Gunderson Funeral Home is assisting with private green burial arrangements at The Farley Center Natural Path Sanctuary, and a formal Celebration of Life for her family and friends will be held in the coming months.


In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Gay’s name to a mental health support service, local shelter, or social justice initiative that best reflects her spirit. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.


Gunderson Fitchburg

Funeral & Cremation Care

2950 Chapel Valley Road

(608) 442-5002



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GS
George Savage
Other •
Thinking of Emily Dickinson, Gay’s favorite poet, and Emily’s autobiographical line, “Dare you see a soul at white heat?” That pure soul at white heat also perfectly describes Gay. Gay was a poet to her marrow. Gay was sui generis. She will be missed but always remembered.
A
Anonymous
Other •
I was a nurse who took care of Gay during her last few months with us on earth. She always amazed me, no matter what. I remember painting with her and trying to sing... where she would always say "your voice needs tuning". She painted a picture of me one day and called "Lady in Purple" in water color, and it took me by surprise because up until that day I wasn't sure she liked spending time with me (much of which I would try to keep her busy with trying her to teach me to paint)- but she did and would always say "Maybe singing is better for you right now" ( I am by no means a good artist) In any case, even up to when she left our care, there was still many glimpses of her that I got to see. Her poetry, her spicy and artistic style, and her sense of humor even during the worst of days will forever be remembered. She will always be apart of our lives. My condolences to the family and children of Ms. Norma G, may you find some peace in knowing she touched the hearts of us all.
SB
Sharon Polancic Boehlefeld
Other •
I was so impressed by Gay, her talent and free spirit that I wrote a high school essay about her. While we lost touch over the years, she made a lasting impression on me. I will miss her spark in the world.
A
Anonymous
Other •
During the years I was going to the open mike poetry readings Rusty Russell hosted at Café Montmartre in Madison, Gay came occasionally. When she was there the night was always more vibrant and enlightening, although I don’t recall that she ever read her own work; she was already a respected poet at Whitewater, and the winter drives from there to Madison delayed her arrival until all the reading slots were filled. I’m not sure she ever wanted to read anyway, for she seemed more than interested in poets Madison proper was fostering. She was always one of the most radiant, alive people there, and she had standards, thank goodness. They were high standards. You knew that if she complimented your work, it was good work, and she meant it. In her, imagination found a fresh, rigorous, invigorating pattern. May she at her best be an example to us, artists and all.
JT
John Carlberg and Sheila Turek
Other •
Gay and her family traveled to Paris with us many years ago. She was so enamored with Paris that she faced her entrenched fear of flying in order to get there, seeking out a therapist, medication, and even a pilot-led tour of the cockpit to ensure she could handle the flight. And once there, she wrapped Paris around herself like an Hermès scarf, which she coupled with a stylish beret to complete her French immersion. She was aglow the entire trip. We miss Gay. Her trenchant wit, her sparkling vivacity, her far-ranging talents, her infectious laugh, her thirst for adventure, her boundless energy, her friendship. She aptly labeled herself a bon vivant, but she was so much more: she had an adventurous soul, a vagabond intellect, an artistic impulse that quickened at the slightest provocation, and a garrulous demeanor that allowed her to meet new friends everywhere she went. Hail to thee, blithe spirit.
DK
Darciann Ketter
Other •
I was her student back in 1986 at UW-W. I only had one class with her and I’m sure I was just another face in the classroom, but her passion for her work was obvious and infectious. She brought out the best in her students and attending her class was something I looked forward to doing. I remember studying the lyrics of a Bob Dylan song that meant a lot to her. I’m sorry to hear of her struggles. I pray she knew the joy she brought to others through her passions and talents. The world needs more people like her. Cherish the memories.

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