Gay M. Donaldson-Fortier

Gay M. Donaldson-Fortier, 84, passed peacefully on March 1, 2021. Born in Kenora, Ontario, she moved to the States in 1967. Gay was a true Renaissance woman who embodied the motto “love of learning is the guide in life” and held a Phi Beta Kappa key in science. A bank teller, chemist, weaver, spinner and lacemaker, she studied animal husbandry and had a farm, held a BSc in entomology, certified as an EMT and studied limnology. She trained as a teacher and as a TA at UNH, her classes were overflowing. Her Master’s thesis, Oribatida at Spruce Hole Bog, was published in the Canadian Journal of Zoology. She was ABD in her PhD and retired from the Division of Plant Industry in Gainesville. She is survived by brother James (Carol), children Josef (Carol), Jean (Julie), and Elizabeth (Juan), grandchildren Samantha (Alex), Sarah (Lee), Sofia, Johnny, Isabel and Meagan, and nieces Justine and Trista. Gay was deeply loved and will be sorely missed by her friends and family. She supported many causes, including Sierra Club and Médecins Sans Frontières, but donation to a charity of your choice would be appreciated.