Gay Celesta Davis Morgan

Gay Celesta Davis Morgan, 85, of Birmingham, AL, formerly of Laurel, passed away on September 21, 2016. Mrs. Morgan was born on March 6, 1931. She attended George S. Gardiner High School, where she played cornet in the marching band, and was valedictorian of her senior class. She married Ben C. Morgan on December 11, 1949. She was a member of Eastview Baptist Church for many years, where she served as choir director, a member of the choir, and Sunday school teacher. She worked for Laurel City Schools until her retirement, first as an administrative assistant to the superintendent, and later, after obtaining her B.A. and M.A. in Education, as a teacher of eighth grade English at Jones Jr. High. As a long-time member of First Baptist Church of Laurel, she sang in the choir and taught the Dorcas Sunday school class. She was a docent at Lauren Rogers Museum of Art, and also served as President of the LRMA Guild. She was very active in the Southern Heritage Garden Club. In addition to all of these accomplishments, she was a wonderful daughter, sister, wife, mother, aunt, grandmother, and friend. She was beautiful, kind, patient, loving, and generous, and made the world a better place for all who knew her. She was preceded in death by her parents, James L. Davis, Jr. and Claudia Cooley Davis; husband, Benjamin C. “Ben” Morgan; two brothers, James “Buddy” Davis and Ronald “Ronnie” Davis; and one sister, Elizabeth “Libby” Richter. Survivors include her son, David R. Morgan (Janice) of Carrollton, GA; two daughters, Kathy Morgan Zimpfer (Paul) of Hamilton, Montana and Angela Morgan of Birmingham, AL; five grandchildren, Audrey Holloway, Rachel Harrington, Susanna Markert, Jacob Morgan, and Miriam Daniels; and three great grandchildren, Joshua Travis, Michael Daniel, and Kaitlyn Rose Harrington. Funeral services will be held at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, September 24, 2016, at Memory Chapel with visitation beginning at 10 a.m. Interment will be at Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Dr. Randy Turner will officiate. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Fisher Center for Alzheimer’s Research, 110 East 42nd Street, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10017 or through the website at www.alzinfo.org. To sign the family guest book, visit www.memorychapellaurel.com.

Gay Celesta Davis Morgan

March 6, 1931 - September 21, 2016