Gay Burkhart

Gay Burkhart passed away peacefully in her home on Thursday, April 17, 2025. She had recently undergone surgery in treatment for pancreatic cancer and was seemingly recovering well. An unexpected health event, likely a complication from her surgery, took her in her sleep.
Gay was born in Madison, Wisconsin on January 14,1938 to John Wesley Burkhart and Ardath Yates Burkhart. She moved with her family to Indianapolis as a child and lived there most of her life, with five-year stints in Jackson, Mississippi and Memphis, Tennessee before returning to the Indianapolis area in 1983 where she spent the balance of her active and adventurous life. Her final five years were spent at Hoosier Village, where she had made many new friends and reconnected with others. She graduated from Broad Ripple High School in Indianapolis and DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, where she was an active member of Kappa Alpha Theta.
Gay was a homemaker, philanthropist and volunteer through most of her adult life. She traveled widely, usually with camera gear in tow. She visited every continent in the world (some multiple times) except Australia and had tens of thousands of pictures memorializing those trips. Following in her mother's very large footsteps, she supported many causes including the arts and the disabled and disadvantaged, serving on numerous boards and committees and spending countless hours in direct service and mentorship to many. Earlier in life she was active in Girl Scouts, Junior League, and the Methodist Task Core. She was a member of the Zionsville Women's Club, P.E.O., various bridge groups, bible studies and book clubs, and more recently her beloved Hoosier Village Thursday wine group.
She had an incredibly giving heart and always wanted to help. She was a great cook and loved entertaining friends and family in her home. She was extremely creative and handy. She would try to do everything for herself and rarely had to surrender to asking for help. She was devoted to organization, even if getting organized and prepared for a project meant that the project didn't get started, much less finished. She enjoyed crafting and collecting craft supplies in equal measure. Her handmade greeting cards, gift wrapping and table decorations were legendary. She strove to be informed on all things, always asking the next question to fill in her knowledge gaps. Many of her neighbors at Hoosier Village and her earlier homes will remember her "walking" her faithful, cute, but high-maintenance and often cantankerous, dog Sammy while riding her recumbent tricycle replete with a six-foot safety flag.
Gay leaves behind a family that includes two sons - Stan Evans (wife Allison Wharry) and Brad Evans, five grandchildren Burk and Annie Evans, Taylor Evans, Shelby Evans (wife Nicole), Grace Allen (husband Logan), three great grandchildren – McKinley Ardis and Ambrose and Lois Allen. She was preceded in death by her parents and her brother Jack Burkhart.
A memorial service will be held at the Chapel at Hoosier Village, 9787 Hoosier Village Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46268, at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 31, 2025. Family will stay after the service to greet friends. Burial will be conducted privately at Zionsville Cemetery. At her request, Sammy will be buried with her.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a gift to the WFYI Foundation, 1630 N. Meridian Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202; Storytelling Arts of Indiana, Inc., 450 W. Ohio Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204; or the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, 4600 Sunset Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46208. If you are unable to make a gift, be a gift to your community or neighbor in Gay's honor and memory. To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Gay, please visit our Tree Store.