September 22, 1932 – April 16, 2024

Virginia “Tito” Gay passed away April 16, 2024 at Menorah Medical Center in Overland Park, KS following a brief illness at the age of 91. 

Tito was born September 22, 1932 to parents George and Eugenia Gay and spent her young childhood in Ironton, MO.  Following several moves around the United States during World War II when her father served as an Army surgeon, the family settled in St. Louis where Tito graduated high school from Mary Institute in 1950. 

Following high school, Tito received a degree in English from Smith College in 1954 and subsequently earned her Missouri Lifetime Teaching Certificate. Following her passion for art, she attended Washington University and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1954.  Tito then went on to earn a Master of Science Art degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1955. Frustrated by the flatness of her paintings, one of her Washington University instructors, Fred Conway, recommended she attend the National Academy of Design in New York.  There, Tito studied 6 years under Raphael Sawyer, Louis Bouche, and Robert Phillip.  It was during this period that she refined her talents and developed into a master portrait painter in the oil on canvas medium as well as pastel work.  Tito twice received the Julius Hallgarten Prize from the National Academy of Design in 1961 and 1962.  One of Tito’s paintings, a work called “Girl Reading” received an Honorable Mention Award at the 1963 American Artist Professional League Grand National Exhibition in New York.

In 1966, Tito met her future husband Alex and they married in 1967. In early 1968, they welcomed their only child who soon became the center of her world.  Unfortunately, the marriage soon ended in divorce and Tito returned to the St. Louis area with her mother to raise her son, David. 

In 1972, Tito started teaching middle school at Mary Institute. In 1975 she additionally took on the role of Assistant Professor of Art at Fontbonne College.  She taught at the St. Louis Art Museum in 1988 and 1990-1995.  Throughout her career, Tito also regularly taught adult workshops and private classes from the 1970’s through the early 2010’s.  While teaching provided a reliable income and a great deal of professional satisfaction, Tito pursued her passion for oil painting and pastels by taking on private portrait commissions.  Tito was able to grow this aspect of her calling into a thriving business, establishing herself as a respected professional portrait painter.  She completed portraits for St. Louis University, Washington University, City of St. Louis, Missouri Botanical Garden, Missouri Historical Society, Sunnen Corporation, Mallinckrodt, Monsanto, Ladue Chapel and Church of St. Michael and St. George to name a few.

Beginning in 1965 and continuing for over 40 years, Tito had dozens of exhibits and shows, winning many national and regional awards.  In 1992 she was awarded the Distinguished Membership for Artistic Excellence with the St. Louis Artist Guild and 20 years later was awarded the Lifetime Membership Award.  Tito was also recognized with the 1997 Award of Excellence by the Knickerbocker Artists USA. 

It was around 2010 that Tito began to experience the early stages of Alzheimer’s Dementia and her productivity on the easel suffered.  She completed her final commissioned work in 2019.  In 2021, she relocated to a senior living apartment in Overland Park, KS to be closer to family.  After a serious fall in October 2023, Tito was relocated to the Dementia and Alzheimer’s Unit at Brookdale Overland Park where she received excellent care and support.  It was there that after 5 years away from the easel, she rediscovered art and produced several minor pieces for her own enjoyment. 

Throughout her life, Tito loved to travel, especially to Europe and was able to make several trips to Spain, Italy, France, and England.  She was also an avid reader and enjoyed finding an amazing deal at a thrift store or rummage sale.  She was fiercely independent and an active member of her community and church.  She will be remembered by friends and neighbors on Maryland Avenue as “The Boxer Lady” as she walked her boxer dogs usually twice a day around the block for over 50 years. 

Tito is preceded in death by her parents George and Eugenia Gay and her brother George “Skip” Gay.  She is survived by her son David (Julie) Findlay and grandchildren Erin (Zach) Mehrer and Christopher Findlay, and many loving nieces and nephews.  A small private family gathering will occur later this summer to spread her ashes.  A plaque will be installed at the Ironton Masonic Cemetery in the Gay Family plot.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations to the Alzheimer’s Association https://www.alz.org/help-support or the Stray Rescue of St. Louis https://www.strayrescue.org/donate in remembrance of Tito.