Dr. M. Gay Hubbard

Dr. M. Gay Hubbard, 88, passed from this life into eternity on Friday, February 28, 2020.

Minnie Grace Fetrow Hubbard was born on March 16, 1931 to Horace and Aurolyn Weiser Fetrow in Cedar, Kansas. Three years after Grace was born, their second daughter, Beth, was born. Tiny Beth mispronounced Grace as ""Gay,"" a nickname that stuck and by which her family, friends, students, and clients knew her.

Her faith in God shaped Gay's life in every way. On a Sunday morning when she was fourteen years of age, her pastor extended an invitation to accept Jesus Christ as her personal Lord and Savior. Gay stood to her feet and went forward. That, she said, was the most important decision of her life. Gay grew so quickly in her faith and demonstrated such wisdom at her young age that her pastor invited Gay to preach every fifth Sunday!

Gay was an excellent teacher, self-trained Bible scholar, and skilled pianist. Gifted academically, she earned her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts from Fort Hays Kansas State College, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Education from the University of Pittsburgh. She taught briefly at the elementary school level before specializing in the psychiatric care of emotionally disturbed youth. Clinical work, she discovered, came as naturally to her as breathing. Gay conducted workshops and taught psychology at the university level for a number of years before she and her husband Joe opened Christian Counseling Associates in Lakewood, Colorado. As Gay developed a reputation for her work with professional women, she soon had a long waiting list of prospective clients. Through her counseling, speaking engagements and writing, Gay touched many lives. She wrote two books, ""Women: the Misunderstood Majority"" and ""More than an Aspirin,"" and co-authored with Alice Mathews a third book, ""Marriage Made in Eden.""

In her retirement, Gay read voraciously, maintained a telephone practice with clients, guided small groups in study of the Bible, wrote papers for publication, spoke at retreats and conferences, served as an adjunct professor at Gordon Conwell Seminary, and blessed many with her wisdom and godly counsel. When asked to describe her life's mission, Gay quoted Watchman Nee: ""Once you really see Jesus and what He has done, take hold and never look back!""

Gay is survived by her nephew Curtis Lamont, his wife Missy, their sons Zach and Ethan, Ethan's wife Jen, and Gay's great, great-nephew Rhett.

She will be interred in her family plot in Cedar, Kansas. You may direct a donation in honor of Gay's life through First Presbyterian Church to: World Vision, Doctors Without Borders, or Namaste Hospice and Palliative Care.

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The originally scheduled services have been postponed. Thank you for your understanding. Once services have been rescheduled the details will be available here. Please direct any questions to Horan & McConaty.