Grace Alice "Gay" Chevalier, age 86, of Vandalia, passed away Thursday, November 23, 2023. Gay was born in Williamsport, PA on December 8, 1936 to the late Arthur & Elsie Briggs.
She is survived by her loving husband of 65 years, John Chevalier; daughters, Dee (Tony) Olekas of South Carolina and Linda (Dan) Belding of Ohio; three grandchildren, Brandon Olekas of Florida, Bethany (Stefan) Olekas-Hvostik of Georgia and Diane (Chad) Minkner of Ohio; two great-grandchildren, Clementine and Rose Hvostik; and many friends.
Gay graduated from South Williamsport (PA) High School in 1954, attended Penn State and received a Bachelor's Degree in Physical Education in 1958.
She married Lt. John Chevalier, USAF in June 1958 at the United States Naval Academy Chapel in Annapolis, Maryland. John and Gay traveled wherever the Air Force sent them including Texas, Georgia, California, New York, Virginia, Washington DC, and Ohio. Her children were born in Valdosta, GA (Dee) and Merced, CA (Linda). Whenever possible she returned to Pennsylvania to visit parents, but decided to make Ohio their permanent home in 1983.
Gay loved to garden. She was always rescuing plants from the mark-down bins at the garden centers. She loved animals-especially cats. Whenever she got a new one it was a rescue. The last cat, Vego, was a rescue from the Tenth Life.
In her spare time, she learned how to square dance and helped her husband teach square dancing. An avid round dancer, she learned to cue and teach round dancing. They taught hundreds of dancers from nine different clubs in more than fifty square and round dance classes. Gay was a member of Roundalab, the International Association of Round Dance Cuers. For over 30 years Gay and John participated in round and square dancing all over the eastern United States.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Gay's memory to the Ohio's Hospice of Dayton or the Tenth Life (2061 Indian Ripple Rd, Xenia, OH 45385).
The family will receive friends on Thursday, November 30, 2023 from 12:30-1:30pm at the Newcomer North Chapel, 4104 Needmore Rd., Dayton, OH 45424. The service will follow at 1:30pm. Gay will be laid to rest at Poplar Hill Cemetery, Vandalia, OH.
Grace's service will be livestreamed at the scheduled service time.
Click Here to view the service.
To share a memory of Gay or leave a special message for her family, please visit the guestbook below.