Gay Nell Reeves Selman Hollis was born to Vada and Jessie Reeves August 22, 1940 near Trawick, Texas. Gay is preceded in death by her grandparents who raised her, Mr. and Mrs. Malberry Hoover, her mother and step-father, Steve and Vada Satterwhite, and her brother, Dwain Reeves. She is survived by two sons, Tony and Mark Selman and one grandson, Ethan Selman, nephews, nieces and cousins. Gay went to school at Cushing, Texas from grade 1 through 8 when she moved to Houston and graduated high school from Stephen F. Austin High School. After high school she attended Southwestern Business University and received certification in executive secretarial skills. She then worked downtown Houston for T.J. Bettes Mortgage Company as secretary to Vice President of Banking until she got married to Earl Selman and started a family. Tony Ray Selman and Gordon Mark Selman were born to Gay and Earl and she stayed home with them until Mark was 6 months old at which she began classes at the University of Houston. She graduated 4 years later earning a B.S. and teacher certification. She immediately began classes for and earned her Master’s Degree from the University of Houston. Gay taught and coached basketball and volleyball at Sam Rayburn High School in Pasadena for 17 years. At that time she married L.B. Hollis, Jr. and began teaching special education at J. Frank Dobie High in Pasadena. She taught there 7 years and got her certification as Educational Diagnostician then moved to Palestine, Texas, where she retired after 8 years there. After retirement she moved to Shreveport, La. and taught in Caddo Parish one year and Bossier Parish one year before returning to Palestine. When she got back to Palestine she set up and taught at the new Anderson County Juvenile Detention Center School, which served 16 counties for educating juveniles who had been detained for various reasons. After working 10 years with the juvenile services she re-retired (after 42 years in education) and moved to Trawick where she built a house on the old Hoover place where she had grown up. Gay enjoyed birding locating and identifying birds. She traveled all over the United States, Canada, and Alaska seeking those unusual birds to add to her life list. Some of her happiest moments were spent on her porch at Trawick listening to and identifying birds by sound as she sipped her coffee and appreciated life. At age 71 she was gifted with raising her grandson, Ethan Selman, while his daddy, Tony, worked driving trucks long distance. Ethan was only 3 when he came to live with her and it was the most perfect gift God could have bestowed upon her. He kept her laughing, busy, laughing, shaking her head in wonder, and mostly just laughing at things little ones do that old people have almost forgotten about. Gay also loved her church family at Landmark Baptist in Cushing where she played the piano. These were her sisters and brothers who filled the place of lost family members. She had also re-connected with the Trawick community after moving back and enjoyed Thursday afternoons at Jannine Dawson’s playing 42 or going somewhere to eat just for the fellowship. Gay enjoyed life while she was given the earth assignment but she felt the next assignment would be much easier and much more fun so remember her fun times here but do not mourn her passing. Memorial services will be held, 11:00 AM, Saturday, September 26, 2020, Cason Monk-Metcalf’s Sunset Chapel. Rev. David Snelson will officiate. A reception will follow at the funeral home with refreshments and fellowship. Inurnment will follow at Linn Flat Cemetery. Funeral arrangements under the direction of Cason Monk-Metcalf Funeral Directors. Arrangements are under the direction of Cason Monk-Metcalf Funeral Directors, Nacogdoches.
In Memoriam