Kern County CA Archives Obituaries.....Thurber , Gay Breitinger December 17, 2005 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: K T bluewolf@onemain.com February 12, 2006, 11:04 pm The Bakersfield Californian Thurber, Gay Breitinger Gay Breitinger Thurber Apr. 2, 1924 - Dec. 17, 2005 Gay Thurber, 81, the longtime owner, editor and publisher of The Daily Report, died peacefully in her sleep in the early morning of December 17, 2005. She had been declining slowly but steadily, although painlessly and even joyfully, of age-related causes over the last several years. She lived a full and happy life and was much loved and respected by her family and friends. Gay was born in Bakersfield to Edna and William Breitinger. After graduating from Bakersfield High School, she studied at Bakersfield College and at the University of California at Berkeley, but left after her marriage to Richard Thurber at the end of World War II. After their subsequent divorce she raised her children Bart, Kent and Anne (Marino) by herself with much hard work, wisdom, humor and grace. Bart Thurber is an English professor at The University of San Diego. Kent Thurber of Portland is a partner in the law firm Davis, Wright, Tremaine. Anne Marino continues the family tradition as the current owner, editor and publisher of The Daily Report. Gay owned and operated The Daily Report between 1977 and 1995. This small newspaper has been operated continuously by the family since 1944, and was acquired first by her father and then by her brother Don before her. The paper publishes legal documents, court suits and judgments, bankruptcies and other material, and has been an asset to the Bakersfield business community from its inception in 1907. Gay brought innovation to the business by investing in publishing equipment and painstakingly taught herself-no easy task, she would be the first to admit- and her staff how to operate it. Gay loved the arts. She was a lifelong oil and watercolor painter; her interests were various, and included human figures, faces, still-lifes and landscapes. She also loved music, dance and theater. For several years she designed and painted sets for Star Light of Kern Theater, where she developed many lasting friendships. She loved to give parties for her friends, theatrical or otherwise-dinner parties, theme parties, even the occasional (dis)organized pie fight. Later in life she decided to complete the college degree she had never finished, and obtained a bachelor's degree in art history from California State University Bakersfield. She was active for years in Mavericks, a club for single adults, for which she served as the editor of the newsletter for a number of years. Gay was generous, loving and joyous throughout her life. She will be missed by all who knew her. In addition to her children, she is survived by her siblings, Don and Ann Breitinger, both of Bakersfield; five grandchildren: Amie Thurber of Missoula, Jessica Thurber of Melbourne, Emiliy Marino of Orange County, Alex Marino of New York and Daniel Marino of Bakersfield; and two great- granddaughters, Ella and Abigail Varney, both of Missoula. The family will gather in April, the month of her birth, to sow her ashes among the wild flowers near the Kern County foothills where she loved to picnic and paint. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Disease Association of Kern County. Legacy.com Published in the Bakersfield Californian on 2/12/2006. Additional Comments: Volunteer submission - No relation to deceased No other information available from submitter. Obituaries http://www.legacy.com/bakersfield/LegacyHome.asp File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/kern/obits/t/thurber2090gob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/cafiles/ File size: 4.1 Kb