Gay Wood Kerlin, age 80, of Adamsville, Alabama, passed away peacefully on July 1, 2026, in Columbus, Georgia.

Some people never meet a stranger. Gay was one of them. Whether she was catching up with a lifelong friend or chatting with someone she'd just met in a grocery store, she had a gift for making people feel welcomed, valued, and genuinely loved. It was nearly impossible to meet Gay and remain a stranger for very long. Her childlike sense of wonder, generous heart, infectious laughter, humility, and curiosity about both people and places left a lasting impression on everyone who knew her.

Gay was born on June 24, 1946, to C.W. and Lois Crowder Wood and grew up in Birmingham, Alabama. She attended West End High School, graduated from Phillips High School in 1964, and later attended Auburn University before leaving school to care for her mother after a serious automobile accident. She began her career with the Social Security Administration in Manhattan, briefly lived in San Francisco, and eventually returned to Birmingham, where she married Paul Kerlin Jr. and raised her two sons.

In 1981, Gay moved with her boys to Atlanta, determined to provide them with a Christian education and every opportunity she could. After the death of her beloved mother and the loss of her job in 1986, she worked two jobs while rebuilding her family's future before returning to Birmingham. She later served as Credit Manager at Birmingham Steel, where her tenacity in collections earned her the nickname "The Bulldog." At home, she never stopped reminding her sons about the importance of "good credit" and jokingly warned that if they didn't study hard, they would end up "flipping hamburgers."

Following a paralyzing stroke in 2022, Gay moved to Georgia to be near family. She entered the Catholic Church at St. Joseph's in Macon in October 2023 and spent her remaining years surrounded by family, facing life's challenges with resilience, humor, and deep faith.

Gay delighted in caring for others, quietly serving her great-aunts, elderly neighbors, friends, and anyone who was sick or lonely. She also possessed an insatiable curiosity about the world, visiting all fifty states and thirty-seven countries during her lifetime.

Her greatest joy, however, was her family. As a single mother, she worked tirelessly to provide opportunities for her sons, always emphasizing education and celebrating their achievements. Her home in Adamsville was the setting for treasured holidays and family gatherings, and she loved taking her sons, their cousins, and family friends on adventures to places such as Graceland, Carowinds, New Orleans, Charleston, and beyond.

Gay was known for striking up conversations with strangers in grocery stores, airports, and even while waiting in line at Disney World. She faithfully sent handwritten birthday cards and thank-you notes long after others had forgotten. Family members will fondly remember her delightful Southern expressions, her ever-expanding collection of cookbooks and dolls, her fear of snakes and fireworks, her legendary bathroom mishap stories that she recounted with self-deprecating humor, and the decorative figurines and "sitters" she lovingly insisted on giving her sons over the years.

She is survived by her sons, Sam Kerlin and Shane Kerlin; her daughter-in-law, Kristi Kerlin; her grandchildren, Chloe, Cole, Noelle, and Sophia; her many cousins; numerous grand-cousins; her friends Beth, Molly, Frazier, and Chad; and many others whose lives were enriched by her friendship and encouragement.

She was preceded in death by her beloved mother, Lois Crowder Wood, and her cherished great-aunts Mawmaw, Louise, Bartow, Virginia, Idell, and Velma.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Macon, Georgia, on Saturday, July 11, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

A visitation and eulogy commemoration will be held at Crestview Memorial Gardens Funeral Home, Adamsville, Alabama, on Sunday, July 12, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. Central Time, followed by graveside procession to Midway Cemetery.

Those who knew Gay will remember not simply where she traveled or what she accomplished, but how she made them feel. Her childlike wonder, generosity, laughter, faith, and unfailing love remain her enduring legacy.

May the angels lead you into Paradise. May the martyrs come to welcome you and lead you into the holy city, the new and eternal Jerusalem. May you behold the face of God in everlasting glory.