Obituary of William Sanford Gay

Obituary for William Sanford Gay: May 27, 1929 – January 6, 2026 William Sanford (Sandy) Gay, 96, of Cortland, NY was called home on January 6, 2026 and met his devoted wife of 66 years, Luella Badman Gay, who predeceased him on September 6, 2016. The youngest of Walter and Flossie Gay's five children, Sandy lived the longest but did not reach his goal of 100 years. He attended several schools in Cortland but graduated from McGraw High School where he was a multi-sport athlete. Sandy then attended the former Cortland Business Institute where he met the love of his life, Luella. His professional career was spent with Marine Midland Bank where he held several positions in the Cortland branch, retiring in June 1992 as Assistant Vice President and Manager. Sandy was a man of strong faith and exemplified commitment and service above self. Throughout his adult life, he readily shared his time and talents with his church, numerous clubs, organizations, and Boards of Directors. He also led a support group for men with prostate cancer. He was a longtime member of Rotary and was especially proud of being named a Paul Harris Fellow, an honor he later shared with both sons. Sandy's devotion to Luella was complete as evidenced by his loving care of her during the last stage of her life. Sandy is survived by sons Scott (Terry) and Brian (Kathy) Gay; three grandchildren, Marisa (Steven) Zogg, Joshua (Becky) Gay, Jonathan (Abigail) Gay; and six great-grandchildren, Steven, Barrett and Annabelle Zogg, Hannah and Andrew Gay, Kaylee Gay. The family wishes to thank the staffs at Walden Place and Guthrie Hospital for their compassionate care of Sandy during the last 18 months. Special appreciation for Dorothy Bilodeau, a devoted companion and special friend to the family. A celebration of life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, January 16 at the United Presbyterian Church, 25 Church Street, Cortland. There will be no calling hours. Any contributions can be made to The United Presbyterian Church of Cortland. To offer online condolences, visit www.wright-beard.com