GAILEN SCOTT LAKEY

GAILEN SCOTT LAKEY, A DEVOTED TEACHER OF HOME ECONOMICS FOR 38 YEARS , PASSED AWAY ON JUNE 19, 2024. SHE WAS BORN ON SEPTEMBER 25, 1951, IN BEAUMONT, TEXAS, TO HER LOVING PARENTS L.C. AND ALICE CLARK.

GAILEN GREW UP IN BEAUMONT AND ATTENDED BEAUMONT HIGH SCHOOL WHERE HER PASSION FOR TEACHING AND HOME ECONOMICS BEGAN TO FLOURISH. SHE PURSUED HIGHER EDUCATION AT LAMAR UNIVERSITY, SOLIDIFYING HER KNOWLEDGE AND DEDICATION TO HER CRAFT, RECEIVING HER BACHELAR OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN THAT AREA. SHE ALSO JOINED THE DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY.

UPON RECEIVING HER DEGREE IN 1973, GAILEN BOLDLY ACCEPTED A TEACHING POSITION IN SAN ANTONIO'S EDGEWOOD SCHOOL DISTRICT AND LEFT HER FAMILY TO BE ON HER OWN.

GAILEN'S TEACHING CAREER SPANNED SEVERAL SCHOOLS AND DECADES, LEAVING AN INDELIBLE IMPACT ON THE LIVES OF COUNTLESS STUDENTS. FOR MOST OF HER CAREER, SHE TAUGHT HOME ECONOMICS AT ESCABAR MIDDLE SCHOOL AND TRUMAN MIDDLE SCHOOL. LATER, SHE TRANSITIONED TO TEACHING A LIFE SKILLS COURSE AT KENNEDY HIGH SCHOOL. GAILEN'S PASSION FOR HER SUBJECT MATTER AND HER NURTURING DEMEANOR MADE HER A BELOVED AND RESPECTED EDUCATOR AMONG HER STUDENTS AND COLLEAGES.

BEYOND HER TEACHING CAREER, GAILEN LOVED PLAYING THE PIANO. HER LOVE FOR MUSIC LED HER TO SERVE AS A MUSICIAN FOR WILLOW PARK CHRISTIAN CHURCH FOR SEVERAL YEARS. SHE ALSO ENJOYED TRYING NEW RECIPES, HAVING DINNER PARTIES, SEWING AND CROCHETING.

GAILEN WAS A MEMBER OF ANTIOCH BAPTIST CHURCH, WILLOW PARK CHRISTIAN CHURCH AND ST. JAMES BAPTIST CHURCH WHERE HER HUSBAND WAS PASTOR.

ON JANUARY 1, 2000, GAILEN MARRIED THE LOVE OF HER LIFE, WILLY LAKEY, AND TOGETHER THEY BUILT A BEAUTIFUL LIFE. THEIR UNION WAS BLESSED WITH A SON NAMED ISAIAH, WHOM THEY LOVINGLY RAISED AND NURTURED.

GAILEN WAS PRECEDED IN DEATH BY HER BELOVED HUSBAND, PARENTS AND HER GODDAUGHTER, LAURA KEYS. SHE WILL BE DEEPLY MISSED BY ALL WHO KNEW HER.

TO HONOR HER MEMORY, GAILEN LEAVES BEHIND HER CHERISHED SON, ISAIAH DURST, AS WELL AS HER SISTERS TEREZ THOMPSON(HARRY), ALICE ALLEN(ALBERT), DOLLIE BRADLEY(CEDRIC), HER NIECES COURTNEY BUGGS(DARNELL), AND KENNEDY BRADLEY, HER NEPHEWS TIMOTHY THOMPSON(EMILY), AND CEDRIC BRADLEY, JR, AND GRAND NEPHEW ARMOND GREEN AND A HOST OF RELATIVES AND FRIENDS WHO WERE TOUCHED BY HER LOVING SPIRIT.

GAILEN WILL FOREVER BE REMEMBERED BY THOSE WHOSE LIVES SHE TOUCHED. MAY SHE REST IN PEACE, KNOWING THAT HER IMPACT ON THE WORLD WILL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN.