Obituary of James D. Gay

Greenwood Lake, NY - Formerly of Bath, NY

Cherished father James D. Gay of Greenwood Lake, NY, was called home to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on October 4, 2025.  He was 97 years old. He passed at home surrounded by loved ones. He was a faithful witness for Jesus Christ.

Born in Bath, NY, he was the son of Floyd W. Gay and Susie L. Gay. He is pre-deceased by his parents and beloved wife Barbara A Gay. He is survived by daughter Melody Zaccardi and son in law Joseph Zaccardi of Greenwood Lake, NY. Grand daughter Margaret Zaccardi, Granddaughter Anne (John) Ruzsilla, Granddaughter Isabella Zaccardi, great granddaughters Ava Lily Ruzsilla and Myla Willow Ruzsilla, cousin Marilyn Corbett and many close friends.

James was the former owner of Gay’s Exxon of Bath, NY. He was a corporal in the U.S. Army and was stationed both in Iceland and Governors Island NYC during the Korean conflict. He also worked in Painted Post, NY at Ingersoll Rand as a machinist.

He had countless friends and would often initiate conversations with total strangers and make a new friend.  As a child, to include a sibling of a friend (who had broken his leg) with the ‘gang’ on their adventures riding their bikes around Bath, he fashioned a trailer out of an old empty dynamite crate, wheels and axle, to haul the boy behind his own bike.

As a young man while taking photographs at a farm outside Avoca he met a woman on horseback who wanted him to leave her property.  Unbeknownst to the woman, he had already made friends with her dog Laddie and her father. The woman would eventually be his wife.  As an adult Gay’s Exxon became a favorite hangout for various townspeople including a few New York State troopers. His hobbies included photography and travelling the southern states.

Friends may call at Zygmunt-Murtie Funeral Home, 4 Oak St. Greenwood Lake, NY 10925 on Tuesday, October 7, 2025 from 5:00pm to 8:00pm. A Funeral mass will be held at the Holy Rosary Church, 41 Windemere Avenue, Greenwood Lake, NY on Wednesday, October 8, 2025 at 10:00am. A graveside service will be observed on Thursday, October 9, 2025 at 1:00pm at the Nondaga Cemetery, 100 Rumsey St. Bath, NY 14810.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to in memory of James to St. Jude, Finger Lakes SPCA, or the Wounded Warrior Project.

Funeral arrangements are honorably entrusted to Zygmunt-Murtie Funeral and Cremation Service - 845-477-8240 or visit www.zmmemorials.com.