Peter B. Gay
July 08, 2010
View Tribute and Sign Guestbook TAUNTON – Peter B. Gay, former National Supreme Venerable (President), the Order Sons of Italy in America, died Thursday, July 8, 2010, at Morton Hospital in Taunton after a brief illness. He was born in Taunton, the second son of Olympio and Ida (Pocassoni) Gay, and attended the Taunton Public Schools. Mr. Gay graduated from the University of Notre Dame and received a law degree from Boston University in 1939. He successfully passed the Massachusetts Bar examination on September 15, 1939.
Attorney Gay was the first man of Italian extraction from Taunton to become a member of the Massachusetts Bar and elected to public office. In the fall of 1940 he was a successful candidate for the Taunton Municipal Council, and Attorney Gay was inducted into the Army in 1942 while still a member of the Council. He was discharged from the service in 1945 and sought re-election to the Council in 1945 and 1947. He was elected President of the Council in 1947 and was sworn in as acting mayor for a period of four months in 1948. He served as a member to the Taunton Municipal Council for six years.
Attorney Gay was admitted to practice before the Federal Courts and the Board of Immigration and Appeals in 1945 and admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court in 1964. He was a successful candidate in 1948 as Representative for the Fourth Bristol District Taunton, Massachusetts and held that position for ten years. During his term as a Representative, Attorney Gay served on many legislative committees and was Chairman of the Committee on Legal Affairs. He was appointed by several speakers of the House to various State Commissions and was cited by Massachusetts Taxpayers Association for his “attendance and efficient work as a legislator.” An important achievement of Mr. Gay’s was when he won approval to rename Route 138 from Boston to Fall River “Amvets Memorial Highway.”
In 1959 Attorney Gay was appointed first assistant district attorney for the Southern District of Massachusetts (which included four counties, Bristol, Barnstable, Dukes and Nantucket (Cape Cod). Over his sixty years as a practicing attorney, he has held many offices in various Bar Associations and was a member of the Board of Delegates of the Massachusetts Bar Association, its Vice President and also President and Executive Board of Massachusetts Trial Lawyers Association and a member of the Criminal Division of National District Attorney’s Association.
During the first ten years as a member of Taunton Giuseppe Garibaldi Lodge 540, Attorney Gay held the offices of Trustee, Orator, Assistant Venerable, Secretary, Venerable and Grand Delegate. At state conventions he was elected Supreme Delegate and has held that position for thirty years. He was Chairman of the Judiciary Committee during the reign of five different Grand Venerables. He worked his way up on the national level of Order Sons of Italy in America, serving four years as Third Assistant Supreme Venerable, four years as Second Assistant Supreme Venerable, four years as First Assistant Venerable and finally Supreme Venerable in 1973.
In October 1969 Attorney Gay was presented with a plaque from the Giuseppe Garibaldi Lodge 540 of Taunton and received a citation from the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts for his great achievements in the Order. He was named “Man of the Year” for the City of Taunton on February 7, 1971, on the occasion of the Fifteenth Annual Brotherhood Convocation in conjunction with the National Conference of Christians and Jews, marking Brotherhood Week.
Included in the long list of legal fraternal, civic and social organizations to which Attorney Gay held membership is the Taunton Amvets, Post 61, where he served as judge advocate and commander of Post 61; the Knights of Columbus, Taunton Lodge of Elks, American Legion, Massachusetts Legislators Association, Massachusetts Trial Lawyers Association, third Vice-President of the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Trial Lawyers Association; Phi Delta Phi International Legal Fraternity, Past President of Mansfield Finance Company; past President and Treasurer of Bristol County Bar Association; past President of Taunton Bar Association; Board of Directors of Massachusetts Trial Lawyers Association; five years a Vice-President of the Massachusetts Bar Association; a former Chairman of the March of Dimes and former member of the Board of Directors of the Taunton Savings Bank and New Bedford Savings Bank; and Secretary to the Taunton Redevelopment Authority for twelve years.
He was an early recipient of the St. Thomas Moore Award given by Diocese of Fall River, Massachusetts; and also an instructor for Northeastern University teaching criminal law and court procedures. Attorney Gay co-authored books entitled, “Policemen and the Accused,” and supplements thereto; in 1967 he and Mr. Richard Prunier compiled the “Massachusetts Forms of Indictments and Complaints,” and in 1968 issued an “addendum” to the work. He also published a booklet entitled “Drug Abuse,” and in 1969 he combined the three books with the most recent changes.
He has lectured at the following places: Massachusetts Trial Lawyers Association, Boston, Mass., MVP Conferences First Circuit National American Law Student Association; St. John’s University, New York; Bristol County Police Academy; Panelist on Massachusetts Bar Association; Bristol County Legal Secretaries; and police academies.
He was elected Supreme Venerable, Order Sons of Italy in America at their August 1973 Convention in Boston, Massachusetts. He was also honored by the Italian government with the title of Commondatore at the embassy in Washington, DC, on October 18, 1974. On the same date he was a guest of President Ford at a state dinner at the White House honoring President Leone. He was the guest of over 1500 members and friends of O.S.I.A. at a testimonial in Boston on September 28, 1974. Mr. Gay was made an Honorary State President of Massachusetts Grand Lodge on June 28, 1997 at its State Convention. He was the first recipient of the Sellaro Award given by National O.S.I.A. at its annual convention.
His many awards included the Presidential Award given by Grand Lodge of Massachusetts on June 20, 1967. He received the Life Achievement Award at O.S.I.A. National Convention in New York City on August 18, 2005. The City of Taunton named the square in south section “The Peter B. Gay Square”.
In September 1944 he married Laura Garda, and they were blessed with seven children. David, the first born, has been a lawyer since 1970, having served as a Naval officer during the Vietnam War; Peter, the second son, became an electrical engineer and worked for Raytheon since his graduation from college, working up to Vice President of the electronics division. He was killed on Flight 11 of American Airlines on 9/11/01; William, third son, recently retired after 33 years working with the United States Department of Transportation; Thomas, the fourth son is also an attorney practicing in Taunton and holds positions with then Bristol County Bar Association and Bar Advocates; Francis, the fifth son, presently is the administrator of the Greater Attleboro Taunton Transit Authority; Laurel, the only daughter of the family is a cardiologist physicians’ assistant, employed at Rhode Island Hospital; Robert, the last and youngest of the children, is the Director of Project Management with General Dynamics in Taunton.
Attorney Gay is survived by his son David and his wife Patricia of Bourne, MA; William and his wife Cheryl of Taunton, MA; Thomas and his wife Sheri of Marion, MA; Francis and his wife Bethany of Wareham, MA; daughter Laurel Gay of Tiverton, RI; and son Robert and his wife Lisa of Dighton, MA, and Linda R. Gay, daughter-in-law of Tewksbury, MA. He was the grandfather of Daniel, Gregory and his wife, Stacey, Peter A. Jr., Jonathan, Larissa, Dara, Leah, Marcus, Lindsay, Thomas, Stephanie, Laura, Sophia, Brenden DePrest, David DePrest, Kelsey and Tyler Gay; and the great-grandfather of Camille, Alexa, Marisa, Jeremy, Zachary and Eliana Gay. He is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
Funeral Information
Relatives and friends are invited to attend a funeral from THE CRAPO-HATHAWAY FUNERAL HOME, 350 Somerset Ave. (Route 138 South), Taunton, Tuesday, July 13, 2010, at 8:30 AM, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Andrew the Apostle Church, 31 Kilmer Ave, Taunton, at 10:00 AM. Visiting hours will be Monday, July 12, from 3:00-8:00 PM. To LIGHT A CANDLE, SIGN THE MEMORIAL REGISTER, consult THE GRIEF LIBRARY, or obtain FACILITY DIRECTIONS, please log on to www.hathawayfunerals.com., or telephone 508/822-3318.
Donations Information
Contributions in his memory may be made to the Columbia Lodge #540, O.S.I.A. Peter B. Gay Scholarship Fund, Post Office Box 988, Taunton, MA 02780.
Directions
Visitation: Crapo-Hathaway Service: St. Andrew's, Taunton |
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