GAY, JAMES DOUGLAS; age 64; of Denver, Colorado; passed away March 2, 2016, at Denver Hospice. Born September 7, 1951, Doug was the son of James L. and Dorothy (Malany) Gay of Royal Oak. He grew up in Alma, graduating from Alma High School in 1969. He was a skilled musician, playing piano, oboe, and saxophone; in high school, he played keyboard in a band that he and fellow students formed. Doug liked Marvin Gaye, so friends called him Marvin—a nickname he used the rest of his life. After graduating from Michigan State University, he studied medicine at the University of Michigan and obtained an MD. He specialized in pathology and earned several board certifications; he practiced medicine in Michigan, Ohio, Florida, and Colorado. Doug married Linda Sievert in 1978; they divorced in 1990. Doug enjoyed skiing, hiking, cycling, and running; he competed in the Boston Marathon and other running events around the country. In 2015 he learned he had a brain tumor, and in his remaining time he reached out to many people he had known. Doug is survived by his step-mother Evelyn Gay of Alma; brothers David Gay (Tanner) of Albuquerque, NM and James Longhurst (Lynn) of Marshall, MI; sister Elizabeth Longhurst (Kim Alan) of St. Paul, MN; former wife Linda Gay Olson; sister-in-law Barbara Longhurst, cousins Richard, Jeffery, and Timothy Gay; and many friends. The family extends their deep gratitude to Doug’s dear friend Barb Barron, whose love and care sustained Doug in his final months. The family plans to remember Doug in an event on Saturday, May 28, with details to appear in ampl.com/dl/doug.gay.memorial.html He will be buried in the family plot at Riverside Cemetery in Alma, MI.
Published in Morning Sun from Mar. 8 to Mar. 10, 2016.