Gayle DeLoach

Her Life Reflections

Gayle R. DeLoach, has passed on to her heavenly home Saturday, September 13, 2025 in Columbus, Ohio. She lived a creative and artistic life of 80 yrs and 11 months. She was born October 17, 1944 in Knoxville, Tennessee to the late Katheryn and Grady Martin. Her mother Katheryn lived a beautiful life of 100 years, and passed December of 2024.

Gayle’s parents Katheryn and Grady moved to Coshocton, Ohio in 1949. Gayle Graduated from Coshocton High school in 1963. Gayle was an extremely creative and artistic person. She went on to the Cooper school of art in Cleveland Ohio. At the age of 23 she married her first love and only husband, Aaron DeLoach of Alabama. After her marriage she then set roots in Youngstown, Ohio. Pregnant with her first child DeMiko in 1969, she quickly secured a job at General Electric making lightbulbs. She got an apartment and furnished it first with a shag rug to help keep it warm. She furnished that apartment little by little and check by check. She was determined to build a stable life for herself and her son. In June of 1979 she gave birth to her second child, her daughter Bianca. She had worked for General Electric for 16 years. When the plant closed in the mid eighties, she followed her passion of art and design by pursuing a degree, and becoming an interior designer and freelance award winning photographer.

Our Gayle loved travel, beauty and art. She had the most unique and effortlessly chic and modern sense of style. Her style and grace was unmatched and unwavering. She loved to tell the story of how she would STOP TRAFFIC with her curves and her not yet mainstream hairstyle, the AFRO.. We all know how much she loved to converse! She would draw you in with her dramatic anecdotes and wealth of knowledge. She was intrigued by true crime, history, astrology and psychology.

Gayle was a libra, the sign of lady justice. She believed in balance and fairness. She was the sweetest, most caring soul. There is nothing that she wouldn’t do for someone in need. She did not “sugar coat” and would give it to you straight with no nonsense. You could count on her for guidance, unfiltered advice and raw love. She loved life, and her spirit will forever live in our hearts.

Gayle is preceded in death by her parents Katheryn and Grady Sr, her brother Grady Martin Jr. and her son Efeytayo DeMiko DeLoach. She is survived by four siblings, Anthony Martin, Otis Lee Martin, Kathy Lowry (Tim Lowery) and David Martin. She has one daughter Bianca DeLoach, son in law Carlos Simington and granddaughter Giovanna Simington. She has two Grandsons Michael and Douglas Jones, and oldest granddaughter, Kianna McMeans, and eight great grandchildren: Key’asha, Kiaara, Kevon, Key’rayne, key’maya, karma, king, and Rayshawn.