Gay Moore Obituary (2021) – Conway, AR – The Courier – Legacy.com

Gay Moore passed away on June 19, 2021. She was born on October 13, 1931, the daughter of Charles Wallace and Bonnie Lynn Garrigan, in Blytheville.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Waddy W. Moore III, and survived by two daughters, Bonnie McNeely, (Dennis) of Roswell, Ga., and Beth Peatross, (Kenneth) of Little Rock.

She was a beloved Gramme/Ememe to her grandchildren, Will McNeely, Elizabeth McNeely, Lucy Moore, Rachel Peatross and Shea Peatross.

Gay adored spending time with the family at celebratory family dinners, Five Lakes family reunions, trips to the Florida beach and holiday sojourns to NYC.

Mrs. Moore was a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and received a Master’s in Library Science from the University of North Carolina. She was a librarian at the University of Central Arkansas for 25 years. While there she served as Head of Technical Services and later as Coordinator of Library Development. She oversaw the transition from print catalogs to computer catalogs and established the Torreyson Library Newsletter and the Friends of Torreyson Library and the Torreyson Book Club, as well as Mystery Dinners and many Christmas Holiday theatre trips to New York. As a member of the American Library Association and the Arkansas Library Association she was recognized in 1991 with the Distinguished Service Award and she was twice chair of the Charlie May Simon Book Award Committee.

A Conway resident for nearly 56 years, Gay was an active member of Chapter CA, P.E.O., Gay Moore Book Club (originally the Torreyson Book Club), Shakespeare Club, Conway Civic Club, Morning Rotary Club, Conway Symphony Orchestra Guild, Sewing Guild, Bridge Club, DAR, Hendrix College Forever Fit for Life class, Faulkner County Democratic Women and First United Methodist Church.

Her glorious sweet smile, gracious gentle laugh and twinkling blue eyes will be remembered and treasured by all who knew her.

A Celebration of Life service is scheduled for 2 p.m., Friday in the Sanctuary of First United Methodist Church in Conway.

Visitation with the family will follow afterwards. The family welcomes mask wearing by all, especially the unvaccinated, and requests that proper distancing be adhered to by those in attendance.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to First United Methodist Church in Conway, AR or to the Heifer Project, Habitat for Humanity or Alzheimer’s Association.