Gaye Dean Vance

Gaye Dean Vance January 10, 1943 – September 26, 2026

With hearts full of gratitude and sorrow, we remember our beloved wife, mom, Nan, and dear friend, Gaye Dean Vance, known to so many as Gail. She walked into Jesus’ arms on September 26, 2026, at the age of 83. Born January 10, 1943, to Charles and Rosa Lee Conarro in Pawnee, Oklahoma, she would always call Pawnee home.

Gail graduated from Pawnee High School and married the love of her life, Gary Vance Sr., on February 16, 1962. Together, they raised two sons, Gary Jr. and Greg. While Gary served in Vietnam, flying a plane he named The Ravin’ Gaye Dean after his sweetheart, Gail cared for their boys with strength and devotion. Their life together took them from Oklahoma to Fort Benning, Georgia; Plantation, Florida; Fort Rucker, Alabama; Fort Hood, Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; Stillwater, Oklahoma; and Los Angeles, California. Wherever they went, Gail made sure they had a home filled to the brim with love.

At 46, after the boys had left for college, Gail returned to school to finish her bachelor’s degree. She went on to earn two master’s degrees and spent the remaining of her working years with children as a special education teacher and school counselor. Her work reflected what her family and friends already knew: when someone needed help, Gail was there.

If you needed a listening ear, she was there. If you needed prayer, she prayed fervently. She gave her time and care so freely that serving others seemed less like something she did and more like who she was.

Her family was her entire world. Gail loved to cook, and she was happiest with everyone gathered around her big table, sharing a meal, telling stories, and playing Left, Right, Center. She made room for people wherever she went. During the family’s years in Florida, she became the neighborhood “PB&J Mom,” feeding the children who came through their home. And she sure loved a trip to the casino, especially if she won just enough to pay for supper.

Gail is survived by her husband, Gary Sr.; their sons, Gary Jr. and Kristen Fears, and Greg Vance, both of Pawnee; her sister, Rhonda Morris, and husband, Wayne; her granddaughters, Morgan Hale and husband, Luke, and Madison Vance and fiancé, Marshall Clune; her great-granddaughters, Evie Watts and Lydia Hale; her nephews, Jake Morris and wife, Becky, and Justin Morris; and many cousins and dear friends she considered family.

We will miss her prayers, her cooking, her voice across the table, and the comfort of knowing we could always come to her. We will carry her love into every meal we share and every time we show up for someone who needs us.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to First Christian Church or Assembly of God, both in Pawnee.