Gay was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky where she had one son, Gilbert Blair Abernathy. In her fourties she went back to school for nursing, which she practiced for neary fourty years, specializing in psychiatric care. 

In 1986, Gay moved to Arizona to help raise her granddaughter Capri Abernathy where she worked as a psychaitric nurse in Arizona for over 25 years.

Gay was an avid lover of cats raising and caring for many throughout her life. Cats were her soft spot and she found great joy in her feline companions.

She also loved to travel, go to the theater, and adored reading mystery novels. 

Gay Abernathy passed in 2020 and is survived by her cat Martha, granddaughter Capri, and sister Jean.