Gay Ann (Dowds) Strong September 15, 1941 ~ August 28, 2026 (age 84)

The Rosary for Gay Strong, 84, of Portales will be recited at 9:00 AM, Fri., Sept. 4, 2026 at St. Helen Catholic Church.  Mass of the Resurrection will be celebrated by Fr. Francisco Carbajal at 10:00 AM.  Burial will be in the Tucumcari Cemetery at 2:30 PM, with Christopher Parrish, Cole Parrish, Kyle Parrish, Jaeger Strong, Gavin Strong, Porter Newell, Steven Newell Michael Newell, Declan Strong, Park Strong and Jesus Castillo serving as pallbearers.

Gay Ann Strong was born Sept. 15, 1941 in Park Rapids, MN to the home of Elva Emily (Jagears) and Stanley James Dowds, and passed from this life on Fri. afternoon, Aug. 28, 2026 in Portales.  Her family moved to Clovis in 1943, and relocated to Tucumcari in 1947.   Gay graduated from Tucumcari High School in 1960, where she had been a cheerleader.  Following graduation she attended nursing school in Amarillo.  Gay and Bob Strong had known each other since childhood, and had never dated anyone else.  Consequently, Gay interrupted her nurse’s training to marry Bob in Tucumcari on April 21, 1962.

Bob’s work required them to relocate a number of times, before moving to Roswell in 1973.  With five small children, she went back to Nursing school, and graduated in 1980 from Eastern New Mexico University Roswell Branch with her RN.  Shortly after graduating they moved one final time and settled in Portales.

Shortly after arriving in Portales, Gay began working at Roosevelt General Hospital.  Over the next 15 years, she held several different positions, including Director of Nursing, and Surgical Supervisor.  In 1995, Gay became a nurse with Presbyterian Hospice Care.  She remained in that position until her retirement in 2007.  During those years, she had the opportunity to care for so many people in our community.  She was truly an amazing, loving and caring nurse.

In addition to her professional duties and her family obligations, Gay was active in various aspects of the life of St. Helen Catholic Church, was a member of Altrusa Club and was also very active in the Republican Party.  She was privileged to be a member of the delegation that was invited to attend the inauguration of George H. W. Bush.

Gay’s family was of immense importance to her.  She was in attendance at the sporting events, ballet recitals and any other activities for her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren as long as her health would permit.

She is survived by two daughters and a son-in-law, Susan Lutrick of Portales and Mary and Rob Newell of Portales; three sons and two daughters-in-law, Robert “Stan” and Clair Strong of Tucumcari, Steve Strong of Amarillo, TX and David and Jennifer Strong of Amarillo, TX; 19 grandchildren, Chris, Kyle and Cole Parrish, Jaegar Strong, Heidi and Alvaro Cordovez, Annmarie and Spencer Grant, Park and Laramee Strong, Christa, Alex, and Gavin Strong, Porter, Steven and Michael Newell, Jesus Castillo, Skylar Strong-Natera and husband, Irvin, Declan Strong and Andy Mason and Lilly Proctor; 8 great-grandchildren, Alexis, Isaiah, Thomas, Kianna, Kaden, Miles, Hunter and Kaislynn; 3 great-great-grandchildren, Estaban, Adian and Ariah; and a sister-in-law, Tommie Jane Doughty and husband, Bob of Alamogordo.  She was preceded in death by her parents, three sisters, Susan Dowds-Lee, Cheryl Haynes and Liz Hamlett, as well as by Bob Strong, her husband of more than 56 years, who died Aug. 27, 2018.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Gay Ann (Dowds) Strong, please visit our floral store.