Gaye Lenahan

Gaye Lenahan

Gaye Lenahan, age 87 passed away peacefully at her Piedmont home on October 29, 2018 with her children by her side.

She was born in 1931 on the island of Maui, the first of 2 daughters to Noel B. and Mary Laidley Lenahan (nee Runner). She grew up in Piedmont and graduated from Holy Names High School in Oakland. She attended UC Berkeley and was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi sorority where she made lifelong friendships.

Her education at Cal was interrupted by a marriage and two children but she returned to school in 1968 and earned her BA degree and a master's degree followed. After she retired from a career as a paralegal she devoted much of her spare time to her family history. Genealogical research led her on several trips across the country to document her ancestry and preserve their stories for the generations that follow.

She was active in her community as a past president of the Piedmont League of Women Voters in addition to serving as a member of the City of Piedmont Civil Service Commission. She volunteered her time with the California Genealogical Society, the Oakland Heritage Alliance and was a dedicated docent at Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland for over 20 years.

She was predeceased by her parents and her sister Midge Hall of Lodi. She is survived by her children Tom Kincaid of Alameda and Peggy Kincaid of Piedmont as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins.

She was often heard to remark during her last days with us that she lived a good life with great family and friends and had no regrets. She will be remembered by all who knew her as a kind, generous and brave spirit who did her part to leave the world a little better place.

She requested that in lieu of flowers contributions be made in her name to Friends of the Oakland Public Library (fopl.org) or the national office of Planned Parenthood (weareplannedparenthood.org). At her request there will be no services. A private family celebration of her life will be held in the spring.