Gaynell (Koehler) Monroe

Gaynell Cecelia (Gay) Monroe, of Canyon Texas, died Sunday Feb 5th, 2023.

Public viewing will be at Schooler Funeral Home on Wednesday, February 8, 2023 from 9 AM until 8 PM. A vigil service will be said at 6PM followed by a rosary on Thursday, February 9, 2023 at St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Canyon. The funeral mass will be celebrated on Friday, February 10, 2023 at 10 a.m. at Canyon St Ann’s Catholic Church, 605 38th St, with Rev. Scott Raef as celebrant. A private inurnment will be at a later date for the family at Memory Gardens Cemetery

Mrs. Monroe was born in Wichita Falls, Texas on June 22, 1930. The eldest child of Hubert and Cecelia Koehler. Their family moved to Dalhart, Texas in 1936. Gay began her banking career at Citizens State Bank the day after she graduated from high school.

She married Foy Monroe on April 13th, 1950 in Dalhart. Their first son, Steve, was born in California while Foy was in the US Navy. Upon his discharge they moved back to Dalhart, where their second son, Doug was born. In 1960 they moved to Amarillo where her banking career blossomed. She started working at North State Bank/later named BancCentral. She was named Assistant Cashier, only the second female bank officer in Amarillo. She later advanced to Asst. Vice President and then to vice president, before retirement in 1996.

Her family attended St Mary's Catholic Church. Where she was on the Parish Board and worked tirelessly to see that a new church would replace the converted barracks building parishioners had worshipped in for years. After Foy’s death she moved to Canyon to live with her son Doug and Kim where she was a parishioner at St Ann's.

Gay was preceded in death by her parents; her sister Joyce Cross and husband Carroll Cross; her brother

Don Koehler and wife JoAnn; her sister Lynn Koehler; her brother in law Leroy Freeman: and grandson in law Jeremiah Heath.

Survivors include her sons Steve and his wife Jeanne of Frisco. Texas and Doug and his wife Kim; her grandchildren Kelly and Jeff Harris, Amber and Zach Zuniga, Colby and Felicia Monroe, Shayna and Eric Moreno; her great grandchildren, Elliot, Madi and Sawyer, Kyler and Emi, Cooper, Carter, and Cohen; her sisters, Carol Freeman of Hugo OK, and Dottie Bradshaw and her husband, Dr. David Bradshaw of OKC, Oklahoma; several loved nieces and nephews; and her precious cocker spaniel, Cali.

In lieu of flowers Gaynell requested memorials be made to the Amarillo SPCA, PO BOX 1014 Amarillo 79105 or St. Ann’s Catholic Church, 605 38 ^th St. Canyon, Texas 79015.