Russell Allen Gay Funeral
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Russell Allen Gay - “Allen”
Born: Friday, August 17, 1951
Passed: Thursday, April 2, 2026
Graveside Service: Monday, April 6. 2026
Interment: Serenity Memorial Gardens, Lizella, Georgia
Wife: Judy Gay, 54 years
Children: Todd (Cathy) Gay, Shelley (Jason) Edwards
Grandchildren: Logan Gay, Eric Blade, Shane Blade, Wesley (Zoie) Blade, Ivey (Mason) Tolbert, Ava Dunlap, Tyler Edwards, Taylor Edwards
Great-Grandchild: Leighton Tolbert
Order of Service
Song - Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus - Alan Jackson
Eulogy - Randy Darnell
Song - Softly and Tenderly - Alan Jackson
Prayer - Randy Darnell
Song - “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” - Alan Jackson
Eulogy
About 2,000 years ago, family and friends gathered at Jesus’ grave.
The gospel stories don’t give a lot of detail - they weren’t written with a screen play in mind.
They simply wanted to convey one thing - Jesus was crucified, buried and dead.
We know a rich man named Joseph let Jesus’ family borrow his tomb, as it turned out.
But we don’t know who stood there late on that Friday.
I suspect Jesus’ mother Mary was there.
Probably at least the same cast of characters that showed up on Sunday morning.
But someone was missing from that gathering.
He had probably passed away a number of years back, but if he hadn’t he would have been there.
It was Joseph, husband of Mary, the man who God picked to raise Jesus.
Joseph was a good man.
Do you remember the story?
Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.
And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.
But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).
When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife,
but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
Joseph was a just man.
Even though it appeared Mary was unfaithful, he was so soft-hearted he didn’t want to shame her in front of the village.
But then God happened.
It was Joseph that made sure Jesus and Mary had enough to eat.
It was Joseph that taught Jesus how to be a carpenter.
It was Joseph that protected his family.
It was Joseph whose rough, working man’s hands held the son of God that first Christmas morning.
Of all of the characters in the story, he receives the least fanfare.
But without this one good man, Jesus’ life - the Son of God’s story, would have been much different.
Russell Allen Gay was a good man.
He was never a Tic-Toc star, probably didn’t know an Insta-gram from an Insta-pot, crowds didn’t cheer and point when he walked into the room.
But when he came home from work, if his little boy was playing somewhere and saw his daddy coming home,
That little boy would come flying home on his bicycle to see his daddy.
Allen had to be tired when he got home.
He spent the day turning wrenches, lifting heavy parts, contorting his body to fit into tight places, getting covered with oil and grease.
But when Todd appeared on his bicycle, Allen forgot his tired and loved his son.
Allen was a good man.
Have you ever considered where your life would have been without him?
He was a failure at teaching Shelley how to swim - not sure how much of that as him and how much was her.
But Todd’s curveball came from him.
Ava learned to shoot a bow from him - and learned from an early age what chocolate overload is with Hershey bars and Yoohoo’s.
I suspect since he loved to fish, you learned how to thread a worm on a hook, and how to set a hook and reel the fish in.
I suspect you learned how to give up a little of yourself to care for others when he took Papa out hunting - which really was just a chance for Papa to sit in the woods.
Allen and Judy taught you how to be a family.
It sounds to me like your lives weren’t flamboyant and full of finding places to go and people to meet.
Fun for ya’ll sounded more like a Saturday watching Allen yell at the Bulldogs on television.
Or hundreds of nights learning how to have hope that maybe, just maybe, the Braves won’t let us down this year.
Or grandkids calling Grandaddy to discuss the latest suplex move on WWE and who did what to whom
Or all of them gathered up on the sofa watching the drama and flash of a WWE match.
What would life have been like without all of that?
And it all started with a fix up some 55 years ago.
Ms. Judy’s brother was a Baptist preacher
Now let me tell you something, a Baptist preacher isn’t going to introduce his sister to a heathen!
And Judy’s brother introduced her to his friend Allen.
Obviously, he thought of lot of Allen.
And bunches of ball games and dates later, they married.
I should have asked where, but somewhere they stood before a minister and said their vows.
54 years ago - and in those vows, Judy and Allen vowed before God, “Until death do us part.”
And Ms. Judy, you made it.
You kept the vow and I’m certainly the Lord is pleased with that.
And I’m certain things weren’t always easy.
Times back in the day were simpler, but many things were harder.
Things that we take for granted now - everything is air conditioned - but not back then.
Chances are good that trip to Arkansas wouldn’t have produced the trash truck and shampoo story now like it did then.
Or even church league softball.
Back in the day, church league slow pitch was the thing.
Allen played and coached and I’m sure he made a million friends.
Now, everyone has their kids who are still in pull ups out there on the field
And while there is nothing wrong with it - I think we’re missing something.
I could be wrong, but it just feels like there’s too much field time and not enough sitting with Grandaddy time fishing.
I know it wasn’t easy taking care of Nana and Papa.
It was a labor of love that Allen gladly accepted - but taking care of our parents is a chore.
We do it and we’re happy to do it - but that doesn’t take the work away - it’s still a chore.
And Allen was right there.
And I suspect Allen’s heart attack at 38 wasn’t easy.
Shelley and Todd weren’t that old - that had to be a very, very scary time.
Especially knowing his family’s medical history
Allen knew his clock was ticking.
And yet, he wasn’t all maudlin about everything.
Cracking jokes all the time,
Putting folks at ease with them.
I loved what Todd said, “If you couldn’t have fun with Allen, you didn’t know how to have fun.”
It was so - refreshing is too weak a word - heartening, gratifying to hear your love for him and for each other.
When I asked about if there was any special scripture they wanted me to read, Shelley mentioned the scripture on the fruits of the Spirit.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
There is a reason Shelley could say these applied to her daddy.
Way back when, Allen was a member of the Morningside Baptist Church.
Back in the day, Morningside was running 400 people in Sunday School.
Working class folk, gathering every Sunday to thank the Lord for His blessings.
Allen trusted Jesus as his Savior and the Holy Spirit started working in his heart.
There’s a big church word that fits here, but in simple terms, the Holy Spirit started making Allen like Jesus.
Jesus had all of those - love, joy, peace and on and on.
That’s how he wants us to be - so He chips away at us and more and more people can see Jesus in us.
Shelley actually keyed in on another scripture too while she was describing her daddy.
There is a passage that I use in most of my weddings - lots of people do.
But the passage wasn’t written for that - it was written to tell us how Christians are supposed to love other Christians.
Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant
or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;
it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Boy, did I hear that in every story you told.
If Grandaddy could stand little grandkids climbing all over him to watch wrestling
Or picking up a little girl from school and getting her a Hershey Bar and Yoohoo every single day
He was patient and kind.
When I listen to a family’s stories, I not only listen to your words, I watch your faces and body language
I want to know if you are, shall we say, making someone nicer than they were.
But you guys - nothing you said or did would indicate that Allen was arrogant or rude.
He didn’t insist on his own way when Judy wanted something for the house
He might have insisted on his on way when she was driving, but that was more self-preservation.
Not irritable, not resentful, always wanting what’s best
Always hoping for the best.
Enduring all things.
Telling jokes on the gurney headed to the OR.
Simply making it happen.
Russell Allen Gay was a good man.
You would do well to emulate Him.
So, here we are - the empty grave looms large.
In a bit, we’ll leave.
Some guys who are mostly invisible to us but do us all a great service will come in
Lower the casket, place the vault in place and cover it all up.
And then we wait.
I had never heard it called this until this year - that’s a lot of years.
But after they rolled the stone over the mouth of Jesus’ tomb, they all went home to wait.
Because of religious rules, they didn’t have time to prepare Jesus’ body for burial as well as they wanted.
So they had to wait for Sunday morning - when the rules would let them again.
So they waited - and here’s the title - they waited through the Long Saturday.
I’ve never thought of that before but I know it was.
It was a Long Saturday.
You’ve had days like that before.
Something you dread is coming up and the clock seems to tick at half speed.
Tick….. Tick…… Tick
Half an hour passes and you look at the clock and it’s only been five minutes.
It was a Long Saturday.
Today marks the beginning of your Long Saturday.
Mr. Allen is buried and you won’t see him again for a season.
But if you are a Christ follower, you will see him again.
You see, I know this is going to happen - 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.
Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
Therefore encourage one another with these words.
First things first, Allen isn’t here
To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
Allen is cracking jokes on the streets of gold right now.
But one day, Allen’s body will be resurrected just like Jesus’ was.
Bible says so - Jesus is the first born of many brothers.
Jesus was first - every believer comes next - including Allen
And you and me
If we believe.
Believe doesn’t mean you say, “Yes, I know there was a man named Jesus who was God’s son and He died and rose again.”
That’s just taking a history test.
Believe means you believe that, for sure, but then that makes a difference in your life - you believe, then do.
Do means you ask Jesus to make you into the man or woman He designed you to be in the first place.
Before sin
Before death and the curse.
Jesus knows how life is best lived
So much better than we do.
So we trust Him to guide us home.
It’s our Long Saturday with Allen.
But, if Jesus is our brother, one day our waiting will be over
And we’ll see Allen cracking jokes with Jesus face to face.
Song - “Softly and Tenderly” - Alan Jackson
Let us pray:
Dear Father,
Thank you for bringing Allen into our lives.
Thank you for his salvation and for working in Him to show us love and compassion.
Thank you for the hope of seeing him again with You in glory.
Please comfort this family with the presence of your Holy Spirit.
Remind your children of your promise of eternal life.
And call those who are not yet your children to salvation.
We truly don’t want them to miss it.
Lord, be with Ms. Judy as she learns to live without Allen by her side.
Comfort her and send her angels to fill the void he has left behind.
Bless this family, Lord, we pray.
Now, we commend into thy hands of mercy the soul of this our brother departed, Allen
And his body we commit to the earth, beseeching you in your infinite goodness, to give us grace to live in your fear and love, and to die in your favor
So that when the judgement shall come which you have committed to your well-beloved son,
Both this our brother, and we, may be found acceptable in your sight
and that we receive that blessing, which your well-beloved son shall then pronounce to all that love and fear you, saying
Come you blessed children of my Father: Receive the kingdom prepared for you before the beginning of the world.
Grant this merciful father for the honor of Jesus Christ, our only Savior, Mediator, our Advocate and our Friend.
[Ephesians 3:20-21 NASB] 20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen
