Longtime South Lake Tahoe resident Vee Gay died Jan. 29. She was 72.

Mrs. Gay suffered an aneurysm.

Her career as a nurse led her to be active in the medical community until the time of her death. In January she had been elected president of the Sacramento Valley Area Council, a regional group of hospital auxiliaries. She was a past president of the Barton Auxiliary.

Vee Gay and daughter Catherine Hembrow

Mrs. Gay put in more than 10,000 hours of volunteer time with the auxiliary. Part of that time was spent at the Attic, the thrift store the auxiliary runs. She was at the store on a monthly basis providing blood pressure checks for anyone who wanted one.

Mrs. Gay graduated from John Hopkins school of nursing in 1959, though at the time she was known as Vee Hall.

She worked for her first husband, Frank Hembrow, in his medical practice as a nurse in South Lake Tahoe.

Mrs. Gay was a past member of the Barton Memorial Hospital board of directors, was on the Tahoe Valley Community Plan team, and supported the choral group TOCCATA.

“Her contributions have been many,” her friend Judy Cefalu said. “This woman had a great laugh. She was happy, pleasant, easy to get along with … just a good woman.”

Mrs. Gay is survived by husband David Gay of South Lake Tahoe; daughter Catherine Hembrow; and grandchildren Samuel and Sarah.

Services are pending.