Joan Marie Conway

Joan Marie Conway died peacefully in her sleep December 7, 2018. Services will be held at The Glen Chapel (403 E Flournoy Lucas Rd, Shreveport, LA, 71115), 11:00 AM, Saturday, December 15. Reverend Joseph Ampatt of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church will perform the service. Visitation is from 10:00 to 11:00 AM at the chapel.

Mrs. Conway was born October 22, 1930 in Chicago, Illinois to Walter Edward Conway and Alice Clara Derkers Conway. The family moved to Shreveport, LA in 1944, where Mrs. Conway attended St. Vincent Academy and later Centenary College of Louisiana. She married Edwin O. Gayle in 1954 and while they raised their family, they lived in Shreveport, LA, Gilmer, TX, Camden, AR and Springhill, LA. In her 60's, Mrs. Conway attained her Bachelor's Degree from South Arkansas University and Master's Degree from Texas Tech University. She settled in Columbia, SC where she tutored foreign college students and put into practice her seamstress skills. In her last year, Mrs. Conway moved back to Shreveport where she enjoyed outings to museums and parks. Mrs. Conway was an extraordinary person with a brilliant, creative, diverse mind. She had a passion for words and an impressive vocabulary, but also enjoyed popular slang and jargon. She was a marvelous cook and relished a good meal with the occasional whiskey sour. She had a lifelong love of music and studied piano to become an accomplished player of classical repertoire, but also enjoyed pop music (especially from the 50's), hymns, country music, Broadway and jazz. Mrs. Conway was a gifted seamstress who could create almost anything from a pattern or a sketch. She painted and had a "green thumb" for plants. She loved nature - parks, woodlands, birds and getting out for a good hike. Most importantly, Mrs. Conway had a magnificent Irish sense of humor and a determination to be useful to others. Those who knew her will sorely miss her, but Mrs. Conway's life is a powerful, positive testament: be engaged, curious, open and love thy neighbor.

Mrs. Conway was preceded in death by her parents, Walter E. Conway and Alice Clara Derkers Conway and brother Edward Conway.

She is survived by her former husband, Edwin O. Gayle III and wife Elaine of Greenwood, LA, children Anna Clara Gayle of Baton Rouge, LA, Edwin Olin Gayle IV and wife InSook of Columbia, SC, John Whitworth Gayle and wife Anne Gremillion of Shreveport, LA, sister-in-law Gloria Conway of Erie, PA and many cherished nieces and nephews and great-nieces and nephews whom she dearly loved. The family thanks Dr. Jina Miller and Dr. Gurleen S. Sikand for their care and attention and expresses their deep gratitude to Libby Kirkpatrick and the very fine, caring staff at The Cottages at The Glen, all of whom Mrs. Conway adored.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made to The Cottages at The Glen, 403 E Flournoy Lucas Rd, Shreveport, LA, 71115, St. Elizabeth Anne Seton Catholic Church in Shreveport 522 E Flournoy Lucas Rd, Shreveport, LA, 71115 or an animal shelter of your choice.