Gail Ann DeClaire
06/07/1946 - 08/17/2022
Gail Ann (Walczak) DeClaire of Sarasota, FL (formally Spanish Lakes, Nokomis, FL) passed away on August 17, 2022 at the age of 76 years. Gail was born June 7, 1946 to Peter Walczak and Julia Mary Batory of Detroit, MI who preceded her in death. Gail married her beloved husband, the late James Michael DeClaire on June 19, 1965. She is survived by her former in-laws Suzanne (DeClaire) Pixley of Eastpointe, MI; Kenneth DeClaire (wife Christine Noreck) of Emmett, MI; and Mary Jane (DeClaire) Ghent (wife of the late Douglas Ghent) of Grand Rapids, MI. Also survived are nieces and nephews: Catherine (Pixley) Syed (husband Asif Syed); Christopher Pixley (wife Lynne Foster); Sherril (Pixley) Light (husband Todd Light); Lauri Pixley (partner Christopher Harborth); Meral (Pixley) Gillespie (husband Baxter Gillespie); Wendy (Ghent) Blink (husband Eugene Blink); and Michael Ghent (wife Melissa Haeffner).
Gail’s prior places of residence include Farmington, Grosse Pointe, and Clarkston, MI. Gail and Jim were active in the Warren Power Squadron and had many fond memories of friends and voyages together. Gail worked as a bookkeeper where she met life-long friend Mary Ellan Gray. She was very close to her cousins Sharon (Batory) Ofsanko and Karen (Batory) Grady as well as their siblings and children. Gail enjoyed living at her last independent home in recent years at Spanish Lakes Mobile home community in Nokomis, FL. She loved her friends there as if they were family.
Services are to be held at Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly Michigan in Spring of 2023. The service will be followed by a reception. A memorial service will also be held for her friends of Spanish Lakes in late 2022. More information will be provided to friends and family in the near future. No flowers and donations are requested.
Gail was preceded in death by her beloved kitty cat –“Jazzy”. May Gail, Jim, and Jazzy all now rest in peace, together.