Galor "Gail" Murphy Edgeworth

A memorial service for Gail is planned for a later date. If desired, memorial contributions may be made to Everhart Excellence Foundation, 1203 Thomasville Road, Tallahassee, FL 32303, Special Olympics-Leon County, 2898 Mahan Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32308 or Big Bend Hospice, 1723 Mahan Center Blvd., Tallahassee, FL 32308. Taken with gratitude from an article in Tallahassee Magazine authored by Rebecca Padgett, her grand niece Gail Edgeworth was true to her Southern roots and would meet you at her door with a pearl necklace and earring set, Southern drawl and cheerful attitude. When you took a seat, she would make sure you were good and comfortable because you’re sure to sit a spell as she immerses you in the tales of her life. She was born 97 years ago and grew up in Sulligent, Alabama, a tiny dot of a town with less than 2,000 residents. Her family was in the hatchery and feed store business, and despite her humble beginning, Gail lived a vibrant and fulfilling life. Gail was a progressive thinker for her time and place. She received her undergraduate degree from Auburn University and a graduate degree from the University of Alabama. Raised during the depression she was taught, “people can take away your money, but not your education.” As a result, she put off marriage and having children until she secured a quality education. She knew love would come, and it did. All it cost was the price of a movie ticket. “It wasn’t that I didn’t know Edge because he grew up only 10 miles from me, but I didn’t really know him until one Saturday night,” Gail said with a smile. “I went to the movies and was standing in line when a soldier came over to me, and we ended up talking. He was on leave from London during World War II. We dated every night until he left for South Dakota. When the war ended, he came back to Alabama. “From there it was history.” They dated constantly, never missing a night and married four years later. “We were married nearly 50 years before Edge passed. We were a good, solid couple,” she said. His name was Hubert, but you would never hear her call him that. She affectionately dubbed him Edge, short for the last name they shared. They both had a deep appreciation for education; she for Home Economics, he for Finance. Both taught for many years at Florida State University. “The summer of 1959 I began teaching Textiles and Clothing and Fashion Merchandising at FSU, “she explained. “I loved teaching. It was my passion. I would go back right now if they would take me at my age. Boy, do I miss it. We loved FSU even way back then when we didn’t win football games.” Their work at the university enabled them to teach and travel as a couple for several semesters in the FSU London program. Over the years they traveled throughout Europe several times as well as around the world. During her travels she saw beautiful sights and she saw some of the most intriguing spots on Earth. But when all was said and done one of her favorite places was at the family mountain house in Cashiers, NC where she spent many summers with family members. For all the travels, though, her home in Tallahassee is where she enjoyed being the most. “We started building our home in Waverly Hills when the development was brand new,” she said. “Edge and I used to drive around the nice developments in Tuscaloosa, and we loved this white house with ivy growing up it. He wanted our house in Tallahassee to look just like it, and it did. I lived in that house until my grown children did an intervention, and I made the move to Westminster in 2014. Gail is the sentimental type, and it shows in the family heirlooms, items she collected in her travels and FSU memorabilia. “My children would have to be my greatest accomplishments, “she said. “I have two daughters that live here, and my son lives in Panama City. They gave me wonderful grandchildren. I am so proud of them all.” She always had a passion for learning; she learned watercolor classes in her mid-90’s. She gave her children the first watercolor paintings she completed. Many of her watercolor paintings were displayed in Westminster Art Gallery, The Left Bank. She shared this final thought: “My experience has been that as we get older, we tend to be more pessimistic and less happy. But that’s no way to live. Life is too short, so really what it comes down to is being happy and reflecting that happiness to other people”, and Gail Edgeworth definitely did.

Tributes

Galor "Gail" Murphy Edgeworth

December 3, 1922 - August 16, 2020