Gayle L. Maxey (née Carroll), born October 14, 1937, in New Orleans, LA, to Oertling Carroll and Lois (Boday) Carroll, died peacefully of natural causes December 9, 2025, in Venice, FL. She grew up in Bellwood, IL, where she was active in sports and played cornet with her older sister Dorothy on piano.

After graduation from Proviso (West) High School, both sisters attended Northern Illinois University. She and husband David Maxey raised their sons Steven and Craig in Glen Ellyn, IL, where Gayle also had a successful career as a realtor. She loved skiing, fishing, boating and golf, and she and husband David often invited friends and relatives to their summer cabin near Rhinelander, WI. And if there was a prize to be won at a community picnic, she and David always brought it home.

She and David retired to Nokomis, FL, in 1995, and were active in their local community until David’s death in 2000. She met partner Tom Halbert in 2002, and they became active in Sarasota Sister Cities and other organizations, and traveled with and helped raise granddaughters Jessica and Laura.

She was always outgoing and loved meeting new people, and her love of music remained to the end: She and Tom frequently sang along and danced at Zebra Piano Bar in Venice, FL, with one of her notorious festive hats. Preceded in death by husband David and son Craig (Barb Sevrey Maxey), she is survived by sister Dorothy, son Steven (Adam Hart), partner Tom, granddaughters Jessica (Michael) Brillion and Laura Maxey, and great grandson Emery Brillion.