Gayle Elaine (Hazelton) Hemminger, age 89, of Portsmouth, Ohio left this earth to be with the Lord on Monday, October 16th, 2023, at SOMC Hospice Center. She was surrounded by her family and friends.

Gayle was born in Elyria, OH on January 8, 1934 to the late Charles G Hazelton and Mildred L. (Bursley) Hazelton. She graduated from Elyria High School in 1951 where she was a member of Rainbow Girls and Majority Club. During the Korean Conflict, she served as a Civilian Ground Observer with the US Air Force. On March 30, 1957, Gayle married Edwin Hemminger and promptly moved to California where their six children would be born. In 1976, the Hemminger family finally settled in Portsmouth, OH where Ed and Gayle worked at the Greyhound Bus Station and she served as president of Portsmouth Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Throughout her life, Gayle did many jobs including accounting and secretarial work in both California and Ohio, but most exciting was Gayle's work as a tour operator with GH Tours, of which she was the owner, and Freedom Tours. It was during this time that Gayle traveled all over the world including snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef, seeing the pyramids of Giza, visiting Israel, and getting baptized in the River Jordan. She traveled extensively in Central America, Canada, and visited all 50 states in the US. She retired in 1998, but continued to travel to visit family as often as she could.

Gayle was a longtime member of Christ United Methodist Church and a steadfast believer in Christ. She was a past president of Mary Martha Circle of United Methodist Women, participated in Prayer Shawl Ministry and Emmaus Walk #26, and was a member of Rebekah Circle and Foxy Ladies. She also helped administer the Hemminger-Johnson Memorial Scholarship at Christ United Methodist Church.

Gayle is survived by her children, Linda Gartin who was her at-home caregiver; Brenda (Chuck) Gartin of New Bern, NC; Edwin Hemminger III of Portsmouth, OH; Randal Hemminger of New Bern, NC; Leslie (Kevin) Tetterton of New Bern, NC; and her siblings Kim (Bob) Meuche of Ravenna, OH and Rev. Nick (Laura) Hazelton of Macon, GA. She was also blessed with 70 grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren as well as a great number of nieces, nephews, cousins, and adopted family members

She is preceded in death by her husband of 50 years, Edwin Lewis Hemminger Jr.; daughter, Laura Hemminger; stepdaughter Mary Lynn Weber; daughter-in-law Susan Hemminger; son-in-law William R. Gartin Jr.; step-granddaughter Billie Jo Jordan; sister and brother-in-law, Kay and Rodger Cliff; sister and brother-in-law, Pamela and AJ Varney; and sister and brother-in-law Sandra and David Morris; sister-in-law and brother-in-law Sandra and Vernon Devorak.

Services for Gayle will be held on Thursday, October 19, 2023 at Christ United Methodist Church at 5731 Gallia Street, Sciotoville, OH. Visitation will begin at 11:00 a.m. with funeral services following at 1:00 p.m. Arrangements are under the direction of  D.W. SWICK FUNERAL HOME (WOLFE-NELSON CHAPEL) in Sciotoville.  Online condolences may be left at www.DWSwickFuneralHome.com.