Obituary - Gay Alice Nalivka

Gay Alice Nalivka, 67, passed away of natural causes at her home Thursday Oct. 8, 2015.

Cremation has taken place, and memorial services will be held Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 11 a.m., Holland and Bonine Funeral Chapel with Byron Keith officiating. Burial will follow in Highland Cemetery. Her family has requested that memorials be made in Gay's honor may be made to Benefis Gift of Life Housing, Rez-Q Dogs or to a charity of the donor's choice. Services and arrangements have been entrusted to Holland & Bonine Funeral Home. Please visit Gay's online memorial page and leave a message of condolence for her family at http://www.hollandbonine.com.

Gay was born to Paul and Vivian Nalivka in Havre on April 13, 1948. She graduated from Havre High School in 1966 and joined the VISTA program. She served for two years in the back hills of West Virginia, teaching local people to read and write. Gay traveled the country, living in various cities prior to settling in San Francisco for a number of years. She returned to Montana in the early '80s to be closer to her family.

Gay was preceded in death by her parents, Paul and Vivian Nalivka; her maternal and paternal grandparents; her brother Paul Nalivka Jr .; her sisters Vee Ann Lammerding and Renee Nalivka.

She is survived by her brothers David (Chong) Nalivka of Spring Valley, Calif., and Lyle (Katie) and Pete Nalivka, all of Butte; her sisters Mary (Pat) Jensen of Havre and Sharon (Ed) Hancock of Great Falls.

She was "Auntie Gay Gay" to nieces and nephews Tracie, Kelly, Ben, Sarah and Violet La Croix all of Billings, Rocky Pak of Tioga N.D., Jennifer Sorensen (Rich and Jace Girard), Roman Nalivka (Theresa, Reid and Olivia), Suzi Nalivka (John Winchell (Morgan and Asher), Chase and Bailey Hackman, all of Butte, JP (Norea) Nalivka of San Fransisco, California, Natasha (Mike, Kaelyn and Kennedy) McCullar of Butte, Matthew, Seth (Alyssa, Mackenzie, Addison) and Paul Jensen all of Havre.

Gay will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved her for her tenderness, creativity, laughter and capacity to love. She spoiled us all.