MOYRA GAY HATHAWAY,
82, died peacefully in Little Rock on February 6. She was born April 11, 1937, in England at Virginia Water, near Windsor Castle west of London. With her parents and brother Michael, Gay came to the U.S. in 1941 in the first military convoy allowed to carry civilian passengers. German U-Boats shadowed the convoy, but their ship made it safely to Nova Scotia and then to Bath, Maine, where the destroyer that her Father, USN Captain William Outerson, was to command was under construction.
Gay attended primary and secondary schools in Charleston, S.C., Coronado, Calif., Armonk, N.Y., Heidelberg, Germany, Chevy Chase, Md., and the Canal Zone. She graduated in 1958 from Bucknell University where she was a member of Kappa Delta sorority. That same year, Gay married Robert Barlett Roach, Jr. in New Orleans and moved to Little Rock.
Gay was predeceased by her parents, Betty and William Outerson. She is survived by her husband of 39 years, James E. Hathaway, Jr.; three children Deborah Elizabeth Kincaid, Robert Bartlett Roach, III, both of Little Rock and William Sayre Roach of New Orleans; three step children James E, Hathaway, III (Gael Sammartino), Jeffrey Robert Hathaway (Laura), and John Clark Hathaway (Pam) all of Little Rock; two grandchildren, Dr. John Charleville Kincaid, Little Rock, and Alexander Roach Kincaid, Fayetteville; five step grandchildren, David Jackson Hathaway, Denver, Mary Grace Hathaway and Helen Spradling Hathaway, both of Washington, D.C., and Jackson Edward Baber and Caroline Rose Baber both of Little Rock; and a brother Michael Outerson (June) of Baltimore.
Gay Hathaway was admired and respected for her many accomplishments, her spirit, her positive attitude, and her love of family.
Gay was a member of the Junior League of Little Rock, Chairman of the Budget Committee of the United Way, and a Board Member of the Cancer Society, the Florence Crittenden Home, St. Francis House and the Capital Club. After her children were grown, she took graduate courses at UALR and was a member of the first UAMS graduating class of Nurse Practitioners in 1979. Gay was the first Nurse Practitioner ever hired at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, where she practiced in the Pediatric Oncology Department for 21 years. She was a Board Member of the Association of Pediatric Oncology Nurses and served as APON’s National President.
Gay was baptized in the Church of England and was a committed Anglican Christian her entire life. She was a member of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral parish since 1959 serving on the Vestry, the Altar Guild and the Matthew 25 Committee. Gay conceived the Purses for Mothers program which has become a Trinity Mother’s Day tradition. During the years when she spent most weekends on Eden Isle, Gay was an active member of the St. Francis in the Pines parish where she also served on the Vestry.
Athletic and competitive, Gay was a synchronized swimmer at Bucknell, where she also won the women’s table tennis championship. In her 20’s and 30’s she played tennis but later switched to golf and was an active participant well into her 80’s, having played courses in 23 different states and four different countries. Gay loved hiking and whitewater rafting. She took up Duplicate Bridge seven years ago and became a Life Master at the age of 81.
Gay had a lifetime passion for traveling. She was proud of her English heritage and nurtured a lifelong relationship with her aunt and uncle and her four first cousins in the U.K. In addition to periodic trips to England and Wales, Gay and Jim packed a triple lifetime of trips into their 39 years of marriage. Trips abroad ranged from Canada to Chile, from China to New Zealand, and from Sweden to South Africa. Trips within the US covered every state and included multiple visits to Gay’s special places — Crested Butte, Scottsdale, Naples, Bend, and Seattle. She was the best traveling companion in the world — full of curiosity and positive energy with a great sense of humor and always planning for the next adventure.
Known for her skill as a hostess, Gay had a smile and twinkle in her eye that made an instant impression. Gigi was a role model for her grandchildren. The 4th of July parties at Eden Isle and the Christmas Eve celebrations, complete with English traditions, were special.
Gay was a remarkable woman who lived life to the fullest with style, grace, and courage to the very end. She made the world a better place. She will be missed.
The family wishes to thank the many health care professionals who made Gay’s life better during her final years. Special thanks go to Dr. Joe Pevahouse for his insight and compassion. The family also wishes to recognize the outpouring of visits, notes, and other examples of caring which raised Gay’s spirits during her final weeks.
A Celebration of Gay’s life will be held on Tuesday, February 11, at Trinity Cathedral at 3:30 followed by a Reception in Morrison Hall. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be sent to Arkansas Children’s Hospital, 1 Children’s Way, Little Rock, Ark., 72202; Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, 310 W. 17th St., Little Rock, Ark., 72206 or The Curtis Finch Bridge House, 7415 Indiana, Little Rock, Ark., 72207. Arrangements are under the direction of Ruebel Funeral Home, www. ruebelfuneralhome.com.