Gail P. Peay

Gail Patricia Peay was born on September 21, 1944, to Robert Johnson Sr. and Alberta Armstrong Johnson in Harlem NY. Gail was the oldest girl of five children and later migrated to the Bronx as a young woman. Gail attended Jane Adams High School and graduated as a Licensed Practical Nurse. She then went on to marry Raymond Peay Sr. in the summer of 1962 and from their union produced Raymond Jr., Cindy, Andre, and Nicole.

Gail served her community and was devoted to the improvement of the quality of life of children such as serving as a Nurse at Knickerbocker Hospital, Assistant Childcare Worker at Riverside Church Nursery Institute, Assistant Teacher at the Early Childhood Educational Program at Sharon Baptist Head Start, Assistant Dietitian at Lincoln Houses Daycare Center as well as rendering child care services from the privacy of her residence. We all honor her legacy of community service.

She was a devoted wife and mother who spent time with her family on any given Sunday with meals, laughter, and stories for the enjoyment of everyone. Gail enjoyed supporting her grandchildren and their endeavors such as recitals, taking them to school, caring for them when they were ill, and loving them unconditionally.

On July 4th, Gail was hospitalized at Jacobi Hospital for a month and then was transferred to Eastchester Rehabilitation and Health Care Center.  Gail was active in her physical therapy treatment but eventually succumbed to her illness and was transferred to Calvary Hospital where she transitioned peacefully with her loved ones by her bedside.

Gail is preceded in her passing by her husband, Raymond Peay Sr.; son, Raymond Peay Jr.; and three brothers, Robert, Raymond and Leonard P. Johnson.

She is survived by her loving daughters, Cindy Peay-Jones, and son-in-love, LaSalle Jones and Nicole Peay; son, Andre Peay, and his partner Andrea Payne; grandchildren, Kevin Hancock, Kendell Peay, Raymond A. Peay, Joshua Peay, Imani Peay, Nygae White, Kayla Jones, Andre and Tayanne Peay, Nicholas White, and Dakota Peay; great-grandchildren, Sha’Nyce, Saidiah, Sayyid and Sebastian; sister, Cheryl Perry League; brothers, Louis Highsmith and Robert Johnson, along with an aunt, and a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, sisters-in-law, brothers-in-law; and a sisterhood that supported her, Ms. Betty Allen, Ms. Delores Spence, Ms. Ruth Henderson, Ms. Marjorie McKelvey, and Auntie Anise.

The family extends our appreciation to The National Coalition of 100 Black Women; The Staff at Jacobi Hospital, Eastchester Rehabilitation, and Calvary Hospital.

Thank you to everyone who came out to Celebrate Our Mother’s Journey of Life.

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