Obituary for Gayle Fox Duys
Gayle Pamela Fox Duys passed away on May 31, 2016, in Tallahassee, Florida, after a long battle with cancer. Gayle was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on July 27, 1932 and was the youngest of three children of Karl Otto and Ruth Palmer Fox. Gayle graduated from William Penn High School in 1950 with high honors and went to Mary Washington College for Women of the University of Virginia, graduating in 1954. Immediately after college she worked as a dietitian at two different hospitals in Pennsylvania. After raising her children, Gayle worked from 1972 until 1995 for the State of Florida, Department of Corrections, in food services.
On a friend’s wedding trip to Havana, Cuba she met and soon after, married Joseph Carter Duys, who was born in Havana of parents in the cigar tobacco business. Joe served in the Air Force where they had their first child, Zachary Adam Duys born at Eglin Air Force Base in Ft. Walton Beach. Joe and Gayle moved to Havana to work with the family business, H Duys & Company, where his father and brother were. Their second child Pamela Anne Duys was born in Havana 24 days before the Cuban Revolution. The family was forced to leave Cuba due to political and military unrest in March of 1960 and they moved to Quincy, Florida to continue with the shade grown tobacco business. Dodie Carter Duys was born one month later in Quincy.
Gayle’s passion for horses started at a young age when she helped the Beaufort Hunt with horses and hounds during World War II (the men were all gone to war) and began fox hunting with the Master of hounds. In college, she competed on the collegiate horse show team. Joe and Gayle bred and trained horses for fox hunting at their Quincy farm from 1965 to 1974 and then switched to breeding thoroughbred race horses from 1980 to 2000. She fox hunted 60 years of her life with the Beaufort Hunt, Midland Fox Hunt, and was one of the original members of the much cherished Live Oak Hounds. She always took the time to share her love of horses with friends and the passion carried over to so many people, including her thoroughbred race jockey daughter.
Gayle is survived by Zach and Veronica Duys from Merritt Island, Florida and their daughter, Danielle Elise Duys, Pamela and Debbie Duys-Hammer from Denver, Colorado, and Dodie Duys from Quincy, Florida. Gayle is survived by her nephews’ family, Richard P Fox and Joanie from Seattle, Washington and John H Duys, IV and Marcie from San Anselmo, California and nieces’ Karen Duys, Diane C Duys and Anna A Duys, and great nieces and nephews: Patricia (Fox) Miron, Richard Fox, Jim DeJoy, John DeJoy, and William DeJoy.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 10 W. King St., Quincy, FL, 32351 or Big Bend Hospice, 1723 Mahan Center Blvd., Tallahassee, FL 32308, who took such great care of Gayle in her last year of life. A memorial service celebrating Gayle’s life will be held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Quincy on Sunday, June 5, 2016 at 12:30 p.m. with a reception to follow in the Parish Hall. Charles McClellan Funeral Home, Quincy, FL., (850) 627-7677, is in charge of arrangements.
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On a friend’s wedding trip to Havana, Cuba she met and soon after, married Joseph Carter Duys, who was born in Havana of parents in the cigar tobacco business. Joe served in the Air Force where they had their first child, Zachary Adam Duys born at Eglin Air Force Base in Ft. Walton Beach. Joe and Gayle moved to Havana to work with the family business, H Duys & Company, where his father and brother were. Their second child Pamela Anne Duys was born in Havana 24 days before the Cuban Revolution. The family was forced to leave Cuba due to political and military unrest in March of 1960 and they moved to Quincy, Florida to continue with the shade grown tobacco business. Dodie Carter Duys was born one month later in Quincy.
Gayle’s passion for horses started at a young age when she helped the Beaufort Hunt with horses and hounds during World War II (the men were all gone to war) and began fox hunting with the Master of hounds. In college, she competed on the collegiate horse show team. Joe and Gayle bred and trained horses for fox hunting at their Quincy farm from 1965 to 1974 and then switched to breeding thoroughbred race horses from 1980 to 2000. She fox hunted 60 years of her life with the Beaufort Hunt, Midland Fox Hunt, and was one of the original members of the much cherished Live Oak Hounds. She always took the time to share her love of horses with friends and the passion carried over to so many people, including her thoroughbred race jockey daughter.
Gayle is survived by Zach and Veronica Duys from Merritt Island, Florida and their daughter, Danielle Elise Duys, Pamela and Debbie Duys-Hammer from Denver, Colorado, and Dodie Duys from Quincy, Florida. Gayle is survived by her nephews’ family, Richard P Fox and Joanie from Seattle, Washington and John H Duys, IV and Marcie from San Anselmo, California and nieces’ Karen Duys, Diane C Duys and Anna A Duys, and great nieces and nephews: Patricia (Fox) Miron, Richard Fox, Jim DeJoy, John DeJoy, and William DeJoy.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 10 W. King St., Quincy, FL, 32351 or Big Bend Hospice, 1723 Mahan Center Blvd., Tallahassee, FL 32308, who took such great care of Gayle in her last year of life. A memorial service celebrating Gayle’s life will be held at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Quincy on Sunday, June 5, 2016 at 12:30 p.m. with a reception to follow in the Parish Hall. Charles McClellan Funeral Home, Quincy, FL., (850) 627-7677, is in charge of arrangements.
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Previous Events
Service
Sunday
5
Jun
12:30 PM
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
10 West King Street
Quincy, Fl 32351
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