Gay Downing's Obituary
Margaret Gay Ellis Downing was born on January 25, 1933 to Ruby and Elmer Ashmore in Maud, OK. She passed away on July 13, 2026, at the age of 93.
Gay grew up with her two older sisters, Doris and Fran in Maud. She attended school in Maud from 1st to 11th grade. She took summer classes in Ada at East Central University, giving her enough credits to graduate high school a year early. After graduating from 8th grade, Gay was awarded the American Legion Citizen of the year award. Gay was active in the Rainbow Girls, a Masonic organization.
When Gay was in third grade, she lost he father in an oil field accident. Her mother Ruby was left to raise three girls on her own. Ruby later married Gay’s loving step-father, Robert Lovelady, once Gay was away at college.
After high school, Gay attended college for 2 years at East Central Teachers College in Ada and then finished her last two years at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, graduating with an education degree.
While at OU, Get me her future husband, Dennis Downing. They were married during their senior year and graduated together. They married in 1954 and were married for 62 years until his death in 2016. They were blessed with their son Sequoyah Ellis in 1960 and their daughter Andrea Denise in 1964.
After college graduation, Gay and Dennis moved to Tulsa where she taught school at Pershing elementary school and Dennis started his law career at Rucker, Toban and Cox. Gay taught for 5 years before quitting to stay home with her children until Andrea was starting junior high. At that time she began doing some substitute teaching and also ran an antique business with some friends. Gay and Dennis later moved to the ranch in Bixby. She then began her real estate career at McGraw Davidson Realtors. Gay went on to become a successful real estate agent, winning multiple awards. She specialized in selling land and ranches and finished her very long career at Coldwell Bankers in 2019 at the age of 86.
Gay and Dennis were long time members of Will Rogers United Methodist Church.
Gay is preceded in death by her husband-Dennis J. Downing; mother-Ruby Ashmore Ellis Lovelady, father-Elmer Ellis, step-father-Robert Lovelady; sister Doris Ellis Jackson and her husband Sequoyah Jackson and their sons Phillip and Jay Jackson; sister Francis Ellis Ziegler and her husband Earl Ziegler.
Gay is survived by her son Sequoyah Ellis Downing, his wife Sharri and their children, Emily and husband Kevin O’Conner and Abby Downing; her daughter Andrea Denise Downing Musgrave and her husband Lance and their children, Madison and husband JR Richardson, Zachary and wife Una Downing and Emma Musgrave; as well as many nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews on the Downing side of the family.
A visitation to come and pay your respects will be held on Friday, July 24, 2026 from 5pm-7pm at Floral Haven Funeral Home in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. A celebration of Gay's life will take place on Saturday, July 25, 2026 at 12:30pm at Floral Havens Funeral Home Chapel. She will be laid to rest at Floral Haven Memorial Gardens. Those attending the service are encouraged to wear pink as this symbolizes Gay's favorite color.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations made to Love Without Boundaries.
For those that are not able to attend the service in person can attend virtually through the live stream link below. The link will be active 10 minutes prior to the start of the service.
https://together.oneroomstreaming.com/FRDSZM
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