Gay Earley

Gay Earley

86, of Lowell, IN passed away Wednesday, June 14, 2023. She is survived by her husband, Robert; children, Pam (Paul) Stiener, Glenna (Dan) Harper, Lynn (John) Bronson, Chuck (Tiffany), Jim (Ellen); 14 grandchildren; 22 great grandchildren; and brothers, Tom and Ed Sharkey.  She is preceded in death by her parents, Robert and Ann Sharkey; brothers, Robert, James, Dick and Pat Sharkey; sister, Becky Lotz; daughter in law, Kendra Earley; and grandson, Blake Stiener.

Gay was born in Schneider, IN before moving to Lowell with her family where she married Robert (Bob) on December 3, 1955. The two stayed in the Northwest Indiana area where they raised five children together before they moved and lived in Texas through retirement. After retirement, Gay and Bob traveled between Indiana and Texas buying and selling antiques and other memorabilia. They made many life-long friends along the way before returning to Lowell where she spent her last years with family. Gay enjoyed many jobs throughout her life including working as a police dispatcher for the Lowell Police Department, and as a cashier for Wilco Foods; however, her favorite job was taking care of Bob and the kids. Besides the love she had for her family, she is best known to her friends and family as a card “Sharkey.” Her brothers and sister would spend hours, any chance they could playing poker and pinochle. When not playing cards, you could find Gay at a bingo hall, her next favorite gambling activity, a bowling alley, a golf course, playing games with her grandchildren who she adored, or in the kitchen making some of the family’s favorite dishes like chicken and noodles, potato salad, chicken spaghetti, banana pudding or her famous barbeque sauce. Even though she was never caught, she was often accused of cheating while playing her favorite card game, or maybe she was just better at cards then the rest of us. Gay also enjoyed watching sports of all kinds, but especially basketball.

Her family will dearly miss her across the card table, her contagious laugh, her warm hugs and the sincere joy of family that she displayed at every gathering.

Visitation, Monday, June 19th from 12-4PM at Sheets Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 604 E. Commercial Ave, Lowell, IN 46356. www.sheetsfuneral.com   

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions made in Gay Earley’s name may be sent to Sprout Center, PO Box 8 Aldie, VA 20105 or made online at Sprout's Website

or to Trietsch Memorial United Methodist Church 6101 Morriss Road, Flower Mound, TX 75028 for youth mission trips  Trietsch Youth Mission Trips

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