Frances Gale Doughty

Frances Gale Williams Doughty, age 81, passed away Saturday, December 14, 2024, at Methodist Medical Center in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. She was born on January 28, 1943, in Harriman, Tennessee to Clyde and Geneva Williams and had 5 siblings, Gary,
Donna, Sharon, Patty, and Michael. Their mother passed away at a young age and had charged Gale just before her passing with taking care of her younger siblings who were still at home, which she lovingly did. Gale married Lloyd C. Doughty, also of Harriman, Tennessee. They had one child, Carla Doughty. Gale worked and took care of their daughter, while Lloyd attended MTSU. Gale loved books and learning and took courses in business, as time allowed, while Lloyd completed his degree in Environmental Science. Gale, Lloyd and Carla moved back to East Tennessee after Lloyd graduated from MTSU settling in Oak Ridge. While their marriage eventually ended, they remained close friends and devoted parents to their daughter. Never one to let grass grow under her feet and with a strong drive to succeed, Gale decided to go into real estate and began working towards her ultimate goal of owning her own real estate firm, which she achieved by obtaining her broker's license and opening Choice Properties in 1983, just a few years after becoming an affiliate broker. Besides her daughter, Gale was most proud of making Choice Properties Realty Company, the first woman-owned real estate firm in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. She took pride in finding homes, not houses, for her clients and did so with the highest integrity and honesty, which resulted in Choice Properties becoming the top producing real estate firm in Oak Ridge within 3 years of opening. Her company continued to be a top producing company until she retired some 27 years later. After retirement, Gale enjoyed working in her yard, playing with her dogs, Maisie, and later,
Bo, keeping her house spotless, and traveling. Unfortunately, she was eventually diagnosed with Alzheimer's dementia in 2007. Gale navigated this terrible disease with strength, grace and dignity. While dementia slowly stole her memories and ability to
think, she remained kind and loving, always putting others before herself and NEVER losing her sense of humor. Throughout her life, Gale was fiercely loyal to those she loved, which sometimes resulted in heartache, but she was strong, maintaining her
optimism and love for life no matter what. She was loved and respected by many and will be dearly missed by her daughter, and the rest of her family and friends.
Family will receive friends Thursday, December 19, 2024, from 12:00 until 2:00 pm at Weatherford Mortuary with interment to follow at Oak Ridge Memorial Park where Pastor Steve McDonald will officiate.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Pat Summit Foundation, which is engaged in research to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease.