GAIL R. O'DAY

1954 - 2018

O'DAY, Gail R. Of Winston-Salem, NC, died on September 22, 2018, surrounded by the love and prayers of family and friends near and far. At the time of her death, she had been contending with the challenge of a glioblastoma brain tumor for nearly four years from the appearance of her first (unrecognized) symptoms. An avid hiker, she compared her challenge to the most treacherous trail she ever hiked in her beloved White Mountains of New Hampshire, and she met it with characteristic realism, fearlessness, strength, and resilience. Gail Radcliffe O'Day was born on December 2, 1954, in Muhlenberg, New Jersey, where her mother, Sally Wilcox O'Day, was living while her father, Arthur F. O'Day, was serving in the Korean War. Upon his return the family settled in Sally's hometown of Scituate, Massachusetts, where Gail grew up. From then on Gail almost never missed a summer visit to Scituate to visit her grandparents, Arthur Wilcox and Meredith Perry Wilcox, granddaughter of A. W. Perry, founder of Boston's A. W. Perry Real Estate firm; to walk on the beach or stroll out the boardwalks across her favorite marshes. In 1965 the family, now growing with the addition of Gail's four sisters, moved to Chappaqua, New York, where Gail graduated from Horace Greeley High School. One of Gail's most formative experiences was her several summers at Camp Wyonegonic in Denmark, Maine. There she formed lifetime friendships that grew even deeper over time, resulting in dozens of cards and notes from Wyo friends sent during her illness. She died with a Wyo pillow on her bed and a photo of Moose Pond and Pleasant Mountain on a bedside table. Gail graduated from Brown University in 1976. She went on to attain a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School and a Ph.D. in New Testament from Emory University. After a year teaching at Hamilton College, Gail accepted a position in New Testament and Preaching at Eden Theological Seminary in Webster Groves, MO, in 1983, where her teaching and scholarship began to flourish. In 1987 she returned to Emory University, teaching in the Candler School of Theology and the Graduate Division of Religion. Here she completed a well-known commentary on the Gospel of John for the New Interpreters Bible widely acclaimed by pastors and scholars, and wrote or edited many books and articles on John, the New Testament, and preaching. In 2003 she embarked on her administrative career, serving as Academic Dean of Candler for seven years. Wake Forest University offered her the deanship of the School of Divinity in 2010, where she served with distinction in leading the newest divinity school of any top-ranked American university. Gail continued full time as Dean for a remarkable two years after her first brain surgery in 2015, integrating her treatments into her daily routines. Six weeks after her second surgery in 2017 she led her last hooding and commencement ceremonies. Even as she lost physical capacities in the months thereafter, she sustained her delight in conversation, her sharp wit, and her keen insights into people and institutions. In 1999 Gail married her long-time friend and colleague Tom Frank. Shortly after their marriage, Gail and Tom bought a second home in Sugar Hill, New Hampshire, where they enjoyed many summers and holiday seasons together among a community of friends and neighbors. Sugar Hill became Gail's base for hiking and respite in a place of extraordinary beauty. Gail's father, Arthur F. O'Day, died in 2014. She is survived by her husband, Thomas Edward Frank; her mother, Sally Wilcox O'Day of Scituate and Jupiter, FL; four sisters, Wendy O'Day, Linda O'Day Kennedy and her husband, Robert F. Kennedy, Susan O'Day, and Brooke O'Day; nephew Matthew Kennedy and niece Amanda Kennedy Dubiel and her husband Roman Dubiel; and two great-nieces, Justice Kennedy and Poppy Dubiel. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 29, 11:00 a.m., at First Trinitarian Congregational Church in Scituate. Memorial gifts may be designated for the Gail R. O'Day Beloved Community Fund of the Wake Forest School of Divinity, and mailed to Wake Forest University, Office of University Advancement, P. O. Box 7227, Winston-Salem, NC 27109, or donated online at: https://forms.secure.wfu.edu/giving?designation=other&comment=Gail%20R.%20O%27Day%20Beloved%20Community%20Fund

View the online memorial for Gail R. O'DAY