Gay L. Pagel, 84, of Manitowoc, entered eternal life on Monday, February 17, 2020 at Northland Lodge Assisted Living, Two Rivers, after a brief illness.
Gay Lynn Belinske was born on April 23, 1935 in Manitowoc. She attended schools in Manitowoc and Tucson, Arizona, graduating from Manitowoc Lincoln High School with the class of 1953, and the Columbia School of Nursing, Milwaukee receiving her Registered Nurse (RN) degree. On September 22, 1956 she married Kenneth L. Pagel, Manitowoc. Gay was a highly respected and conscientious nurse in the Manitowoc area for several decades. She was operating room supervisor at Memorial Hospital for many years, then later served as an industrial nurse for Manitowoc Company, a visiting nurse for Manitowoc County, and taught nursing classes at Lakeshore Technical Institute. She also served as lead caregiver for Ken as he battled a debilitating series of health issues after his retirement.
Gay joined First Lutheran Church as a young child and was a lifelong member there. She and Ken enjoyed gardening, cookouts with the neighbors, antiquing, cheering on the Green Bay Packers, and most of all spending time with their family.
Survivors include three sons and one daughter-in-law: Tim (Donna) Pagel, Jupiter, FL, David Pagel, Carrollton, TX, and Tom Pagel, San Francisco, CA; two grandchildren: Bethany (Jon-Michael) Guerra, Carrollton, TX, and Capt. Ethan Pagel, USMC, San Diego, CA; two great-grandchildren: Ian and Luke Guerra; two half-brothers: Joel Bahr, Middleton, and Rory Bahr, Madison; a sister-in-law: Norma Pagel, Brown Deer, WI; two nephews: Scott Pagel and Todd Pagel; other relatives and many friends. She was preceded in death by her parents: Adolph Belinske and Adeline Koepsel; stepfather: Al Koepsel; her husband: Ken Pagel; and a half-brother: Gary Belinske.
A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 22, at First Lutheran Church, 521 North 8th Street, Manitowoc. Rev. Rachel Hacker will officiate with interment to follow at a later date. Visitation will be held at the church from 9:30 a.m. Saturday until the time of the service. A luncheon will follow at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Gay’s name to First Lutheran Church, or to the Wisconsin Maritime Museum or Manitowoc Historical Society, two local organizations where Gay and Ken volunteered over the years. The Jens, Reinbold & Pfeffer Family Funeral Services and Crematory of Manitowoc assisted the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be expressed atwww.jensreinboldandpfeffer.com
Gay’s family wishes to thank the staff at Northland Lodge for their dedication in helping care for our mom for the last year and a half. Thanks also to all those at Aurora Medical Center and Aurora At-Home Hospice as well as Kathy Sobel for their kindness and care. The family also is thankful for everyone at First Lutheran Church as well as neighbors and friends the Piepenburgs, Schroeders, O’Connells and Reynolds, all of whom provided countless hours of friendship and help over the years.
