Gerald Mack Mayo, of Charleston, South Carolina, formerly from Atlanta, Georgia, passed away Wednesday, August 6, 2014 from complications following surgery and a stroke. He was born in Pitt County, North Carolina on November 24, 1935. He is predeceased by his parents, Olive Clark Mayo and H. Brown Mayo. In the years around 1940 he lived in Lucama, NC, where his father served as principal of the school. Later he was captain of the Chocowinity High School football team and an honors student. During this time he went to LeBruges, Belgium, where he learned to fly gliders. This established an enduring love for flying, for aircraft of all kinds, and the aviation industry.
Mr. Mayo attended the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 1954-58, graduating Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa in Political Science and History. He was a Burlington Industries Scholar. He was also Phi Eta Sigma and a member of the Order of the Old Well. He served as president of the student YMCA which was a dynamic force in the move to fully integrate the University system during the 1950s. He held firm to his belief in liberal causes and was a life long Democrat. He was also in the ROTC at Carolina where he learned to fly fixed wing aircraft. Following graduation, he enlisted in the United States Air Force as a Second Lieutenant. He was trained in T-37s and T-33s, and went on to fly fighter planes, especially the F-100, training at Luke Air Force Base in Phoenix, Arizona and at Nellis Air Force Base Gunnery School. He served for 7 years, mostly at RAF Lakenheath, 48 Tactical Fighter Wing, 492 Squadron, in England, leaving service with the rank of Captain.
After his service, he attended Law School at UNCCH. He was an editor of the Law Review and received notice for his writings concerning aviation litigation matters. During law school, he learned to fly helicopters with the North Carolina Army National Guard. After receiving his Doctor of Jurisprudence from Carolina, he worked in Washington, DC for the Justice Department's Aviation Litigation Unit. From there he accepted a job with Delta Air Lines in the legal department, in Atlanta, where he retired many years later as Director of Litigation.
Mr. Mayo, known as Gerry, was an avid sportsman. He was Co-Captain of the UNC-CH fencing squad and was number one man on the foil. In addition he won many one design sailing events especially on his vessel “Catch 22”, a Morgan 22. He loved scuba diving and became Master Diver and Instructor, a position from which he trained and certified his entire family and many of his friends. He enjoyed flying his Cessna 172 until late years. He and his family relished sailing the Carribean and Latin America on various sailboats, primarily their “Summer Squall”, a Hylas 52’.
Gerry is survived by his devoted wife of 40 years, Lynda Morgan, of Charleston, South Carolina. He is also survived by his sons, Robert Brown Mayo and Susie Toomire, Charleston, South Carolina; David Gerald Mayo and Erin Kristen Kwak, Rye, New York; Lance Thomas Shapiro and Shapton Holsclaw, Charleston, South Carolina, and Travis Peyton Mayo, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Gerry's surviving brother, Clayton Mayo, lives and works in North Carolina and his son Clay Jr.lives in Tampa, Florida.
He also leaves several grandchildren: David Andres Mayo and Bridget McNamara, Manhattan, New York; Jonathan Robert Mayo and Emily Floyd, Atlanta, Georgia; Anna Lee Mayo, New Orleans, Louisiana; Maria Grace Mayo, Estes National Park, Colorado; and Charles David, Thomas Raphael, and Caroline Barnes Mayo, Rye, New York; Thomas Whitaker, John Logan, and Louisa Hale Shapiro, Mount Pleasant,SC, and Peyton and Jackson Mayo, Atlanta, Georgia. He also leaves step grandchildren: Laura Toomire of Los Angeles, California and Matt Toomire, Athens, Georgia.
Gerry was previously married to Linda Barnes Cater. Her mother Doris Lee Barnes resides in Rock Ridge, NC.
A private memorial service is to take place on Saturday, September 27, at 6:30 in Charleston on the beach, followed. Please contact the Family for details.
In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes gifts to anyone you see in true need, as Gerry would have done.