Gayla Patricia Thompson Staats
Gayla Patricia Thompson Staats, passed away Wednesday, Jan. 30.

A celebration of life was held Sunday at the University United Methodist Church Chapel.

Mrs. Staats was raised in Iowa , and moved to Wichita Falls in 1950 and had been a resident of Iowa Park several years. She headed the sheet music department of Max Kreutz House of Music for about 30 years. She then worked part-time for Times Record News. She was a longtime member of University United Methodist Church, where she and her late husband were active members of the Sanctuary Choir and Bell Choir and attended Adult Sunday School class. Previously they had been members of Floral Heights Methodist Church and then St. Mark’s United Methodist Church. She enjoyed entertaining, playing bridge, and all types of board games. She was a spelling bee champion, both as a youth and an adult. She volunteered at Interfaith Ministries for many years, and she and her late husband hosted Hotter ‘n Hell Hundred cyclists and Sheppard Air Force Base airmen during the holidays.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Richard H.C. Staats on October 3, 2005.

Survivors include three children, Charles of Wichita Falls, Cheryl of Cincinnati, Ohio, and Cathy of Culemborg, Holland; a sister; two brothers; ten grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.