THORNTON C. GAY, a resident of Norwell for the past 52 years, went to be with the Lord on Saturday, Jan. 1st, 2011 at Southwood at Norwell Nursing Center. He was 89. Mr. Gay was born in Tewksbury, graduated from Tewksbury High School in 1939 and attended Tufts University and Penn State. During World War II, he served in Leyte, Philippines with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and during the Korean War with the 40th Artillery Battery in Japan. He was a draftsman by profession and was associated with a number of engineering firms on the South Shore including; Stone & Webster, Charles T. Main Co. and Russ Electric. Mr. Gay has been a member of the South Shore Men of Harmony since July of 1966 and was a member of the Barbershop Harmony Society for almost 45 years.
Mr. Gay leaves his wife of 62 years, Eleanore (Fitzgerald) Gay; and was the father of Adrienne C. Fee and her husband Kevin of Bellefonte, PA and Jeffrey C. Gay and his wife Tricia of Charlton, MA. Grandfather of Dustin Yoxall and Jonathan and Joseph Gay. Also survived by his sister, Flora Gay of Lowell; and brother, Philip Gay and his wife Wanda of Greenwich, NY, and their 3 children.
A Memorial Service will be conducted on Saturday, Jan. 8th at 11 AM at the First Trinitarian Congregational Church, 381 Country Way, Scituate. Friends may visit at the Downing Cottage Funeral Chapel, 21 Pond St., Hingham on Thursday, Jan. 6th from 4-8 PM.
Interment services will be conducted with military honors on Friday, Jan. 7th at 1 PM at the Tewksbury Cemetery, 172 East St., Tewksbury, MA.
In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the Barbershop Harmony Foundation, 110 7th Avenue, N., Nashville, TN 37207-3704.