Roland Laurice Gay
CHINA – Roland Laurice Gay, 84, went home to be with the Lord on Nov. 11, 2024, after a brief illness. Roland was born in Weeks Mills on Dec. 2, 1939 to Guy R. Gay and Ellen Maddocks Gay.
Roland served six years in the National Guard before working two full-time careers, the first at the Cotton Mill in Augusta for several years prior to its closing, then he moved on to the State of Maine Highway Department as a fabricator for 25 years until retiring in 1998.
Roland, a member of the Weeks Mills Baptist Church serving as Deacon for many years, also volunteered with annual maintenance at the Living Waters Bible Conference summer camp. Roland also supported the local Little League community by coaching the Weeks Mills Little League baseball team for a few years.
After retiring, Roland and wife, Hilda, spent several years travelling across the country exploring new places and meeting new friends. Roland was known to make new friends wherever he travelled. Roland especially enjoyed roaming about the United States, including Alaska, and except for the Northwest Territories, all provinces of Canada. Roland enjoyed his first visit to Alaska so much that he returned with his son, David, for a fishing expedition a few years later. Roland also enjoyed camping, especially when his grandchildren accompanied them. Roland’s favorite hobbies were to patrol his 40 acres on his tractor that he affectionately referred to as “Yammy” and to cut firewood.
Roland is survived by his wife, Hilda Robbins Gay, whom he was married to for 63-plus years; son, David, and daughters Beth Getchell and her husband Chip and Debra Bartlett and her husband Dick; grandchildren Michelle Solomon, Jacob Solomon and wife Natasha, and Nicole Lovering; and several great-grandchildren; nieces, and nephews.
Roland was predeceased by his parents; brothers Gerald, Darrell, Neil, Dennis, and Harvard Gay, Sr., sister, Guylene Freeman; and granddaughter, Amanda Harris.
Services will take place at the Weeks Mills Baptist Church, 13 Deer Hill Rd., Weeks Mills, on Saturday Nov. 16. Visiting hours will be held from 12 to 1 p.m. and the funeral will take place at 1 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Roland may be made to
Living Waters Bible Conference,
P.O. Box 250,
Danforth, ME 04424
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