Gail Courtney's Obituary
Mrs. Gail Courtney, 83, of Lufkin was born on November 8, 1938, in Port Allen, CA, and died on Thursday, November 25, 2021, in Lufkin. Cremation is under the direction of Colonial Mortuary.
Gail Courtney, the world traveler, and raconteur passed away on Thursday, November 25th at the age of 83 after a brief illness.
Gail was born in Port Allen, Louisiana — across the Mississippi River from Baton Rouge — because, as she loved to say, her mother missed the ferry.
Growing up, Gail's family moved frequently, and she lived in a variety of towns until she met her late husband John in Lufkin, where she would spend most of her life.
Gail's career was wide-ranging. Among her e adventures: ten years running the Lufkin Bar-B-Q Bar, writing a must-read gossip column, planning dream vacations from a travel agency on Timberland Avenue, and helping noted UFO enthusiast Bob Bigelow run his empire of extended-stay hotels in Las Vegas, where she frequently rubbed elbows with celebrities.
After retirement, Gail had an active social life that included the Lufkin Garden Club, playing bridge and mah-jongg with her friends, and organizing bus trips to the casino for fellow lovers of games of chance. She also traveled at every opportunity, marking off bucket list destinations such as Italy and Spain and returning to favorite places such as Lake Tahoe.
Gail made an impression on those she met. Her quick wit, sparkling eyes, and colorful stories often made her the life of the pary. Fellow students from a cooking class Gail attended while vacationing in Rome still remember her.
Gail loved to tell a story, and she had a million of them. The best way to honor her would be to tell someone a story about Gail to help keep her memory alive.
She is survived by her sister Carolyn and husband Ed, brother Wayne and wife Sue, daughter Lynn and husband Barry, grandson Jon and husband José Luis, and grandson Max and fiancée Stephanie.
A memorial will be held at such time that it is safer for family and friends to gather.
What’s your fondest memory of Gail?
What’s a lesson you learned from Gail?
Share a story where Gail's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Gail you’ll never forget.
How did Gail make you smile?