ECU Athletics Mourns Passing Of Paul Gay
March 18, 2022 | General
East Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame member Paul Gay passed away Wednesday at the age of 90.
The four-sport student-athlete was a standout for the Pirates in football, baseball, basketball and golf from 1951 to 1955. The Wilson native was best known for his success on the gridiron however, earning all-state and All-North State Conference honors as a halfback in 1953. He was inducted into the ECU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1997.
Gay stayed involved in both education and athletics after departing the Greenville campus, coaching and teaching numerous sports and subjects at the high school level. He spent 25 years of his career at Sanford (N.C.) Central High School, serving as a biology and physical education teacher, head football coach and athletics director.
As a football coach, Gay led his team to eight conference championships, four co-state titles and one state championship. In 1973 he was named North Carolina Coach-of-the-Year by the Associated Press. The Sanford community honored him by renaming the Central HS (now Lee County HS) football stadium as Paul B. Gay Stadium.
Additionally, he was head coach of the North Carolina Shrine Bowl team in 1977 and also coached in the East-West All-Star game in Greensboro. Gay was a member of the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Coaches Association and was the first North Carolinian to be chosen as president of the National Federation Interscholastic Coaches Association.
Gay was also inducted into the North Carolina High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 1996 and the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 1998.
As posted on rogerspickard.com.
Paul Beasley Gay
February 20, 1932 - March 16, 2022
Paul Beasley Gay, 90 of Sanford passed away Wednesday March 16, 2022. A Celebration of Life service will be held at 3:00 p.m. Saturday (March 19) at St. Luke United Methodist Church. The family will greet friends in the Davenport Christian Life Center from 1:00 until 2:45 p.m. Saturday.
Mr. Gay was born in Saratoga, N.C., son of the late William Edgar Gay and Mary Horton Gay. After graduating from Charles L. Coon High School in Wilson, N.C., he went on to East Carolina College on a football scholarship, where he graduated in 1956 with a Bachelor of Science degree. After teaching and serving as an assistant football coach in Lancaster, S.C. and Raleigh, N.C., he landed his first head football coaching position at age 28 at Sanford Central High School in 1960.
During a 24-year coaching career at Sanford Central High School, later named Lee County High School, his teams won 177 games - an average of just under eight wins per year. The football stadium was named in his honor, and a bust to dedicate his career and accomplishments, was placed on the grounds in 2019. Following his retirement from teaching and coaching, he was inducted into the North Carolina High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame, the East Carolina University Athletics Hall of Fame and the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.
He was an avid golfer in retirement, and he loved spending time with family and friends.
The third youngest among nine children, he was preceded in death by brothers, Clarence, David, James, John and Bobby, and sisters Kathleen Scott and Nannie Lee Pridgen.
Mr. Gay is survived by his wife of 66 years, Jean Buchanan Gay; three sons, Paul B. Gay Jr and wife Laura, Douglas M. Gay and wife Liz, and Joseph B. Gay and wife Cindy; grandchildren, Mary Beth Bradberry and husband Kenny, Michelle Cowherd and husband Charles, Shelby Davis, Callie Davis, Douglas M. Gay Jr and wife Courtney, Kenan W. Gay and wife Liz, Lee B. Gay and wife Martha, Elizabeth Cozart and husband Harrison, Kaitie Gay, Cassie Gay and Carson Gay; great grandchildren, Parker Bradberry, Mark Cowherd, Wells Gay, Brooks Gay, and Kenan Elizabeth Cozart; a sister Frances G. Harrell.
Memorial contributions can be made to St. Luke United Methodist Church, 2916 Wicker Street, Sanford, NC 27330 or to Community Hospice, 1836 Doctors Drive, Sanford, NC 27330.
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The four-sport student-athlete was a standout for the Pirates in football, baseball, basketball and golf from 1951 to 1955. The Wilson native was best known for his success on the gridiron however, earning all-state and All-North State Conference honors as a halfback in 1953. He was inducted into the ECU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1997.
Gay stayed involved in both education and athletics after departing the Greenville campus, coaching and teaching numerous sports and subjects at the high school level. He spent 25 years of his career at Sanford (N.C.) Central High School, serving as a biology and physical education teacher, head football coach and athletics director.
As a football coach, Gay led his team to eight conference championships, four co-state titles and one state championship. In 1973 he was named North Carolina Coach-of-the-Year by the Associated Press. The Sanford community honored him by renaming the Central HS (now Lee County HS) football stadium as Paul B. Gay Stadium.
Additionally, he was head coach of the North Carolina Shrine Bowl team in 1977 and also coached in the East-West All-Star game in Greensboro. Gay was a member of the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Coaches Association and was the first North Carolinian to be chosen as president of the National Federation Interscholastic Coaches Association.
Gay was also inducted into the North Carolina High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 1996 and the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 1998.
As posted on rogerspickard.com.
Paul Beasley Gay
February 20, 1932 - March 16, 2022
Paul Beasley Gay, 90 of Sanford passed away Wednesday March 16, 2022. A Celebration of Life service will be held at 3:00 p.m. Saturday (March 19) at St. Luke United Methodist Church. The family will greet friends in the Davenport Christian Life Center from 1:00 until 2:45 p.m. Saturday.
Mr. Gay was born in Saratoga, N.C., son of the late William Edgar Gay and Mary Horton Gay. After graduating from Charles L. Coon High School in Wilson, N.C., he went on to East Carolina College on a football scholarship, where he graduated in 1956 with a Bachelor of Science degree. After teaching and serving as an assistant football coach in Lancaster, S.C. and Raleigh, N.C., he landed his first head football coaching position at age 28 at Sanford Central High School in 1960.
During a 24-year coaching career at Sanford Central High School, later named Lee County High School, his teams won 177 games - an average of just under eight wins per year. The football stadium was named in his honor, and a bust to dedicate his career and accomplishments, was placed on the grounds in 2019. Following his retirement from teaching and coaching, he was inducted into the North Carolina High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame, the East Carolina University Athletics Hall of Fame and the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.
He was an avid golfer in retirement, and he loved spending time with family and friends.
The third youngest among nine children, he was preceded in death by brothers, Clarence, David, James, John and Bobby, and sisters Kathleen Scott and Nannie Lee Pridgen.
Mr. Gay is survived by his wife of 66 years, Jean Buchanan Gay; three sons, Paul B. Gay Jr and wife Laura, Douglas M. Gay and wife Liz, and Joseph B. Gay and wife Cindy; grandchildren, Mary Beth Bradberry and husband Kenny, Michelle Cowherd and husband Charles, Shelby Davis, Callie Davis, Douglas M. Gay Jr and wife Courtney, Kenan W. Gay and wife Liz, Lee B. Gay and wife Martha, Elizabeth Cozart and husband Harrison, Kaitie Gay, Cassie Gay and Carson Gay; great grandchildren, Parker Bradberry, Mark Cowherd, Wells Gay, Brooks Gay, and Kenan Elizabeth Cozart; a sister Frances G. Harrell.
Memorial contributions can be made to St. Luke United Methodist Church, 2916 Wicker Street, Sanford, NC 27330 or to Community Hospice, 1836 Doctors Drive, Sanford, NC 27330.
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