William Gerald Gaia, 74, died Friday, August 18, 2017, at his home in Oxford. The funeral service will be held Tuesday, August 22 at 2:00 p.m. at Christ Presbyterian Church in Oxford with Rev. Curt Presley and Rev. John Allen May officiating.  Visitation will be prior to the service beginning at 12:00 p.m. at the church.  Burial will follow in Oxford Memorial Cemetery.

Mr. Gaia was born and raised in Memphis, TN to the late Frank Lambert “Bud” Gaia and Jo Royce Nicholas Gaia and was a graduate of Christian Brothers High School.  He attended Ole Miss for two years where he was a member of the DEKE fraternity and received a Bachelor Degree in Political Science from the University of Memphis.  He was a real estate appraiser and owner of Gerald Gaia and Associates prior to retirement.  After moving to Oxford, Gerald and his wife, Brinkley, attended Christ Presbyterian Church.

He was a devoted fan of Ole Miss football and baseball and was a member of the Ole Miss Quarterback Club and the Ole Miss Diamond Club. Recently Gerald began to enjoy attending Ole Miss Women’s Softball games and was excited when they won the SEC tournament.  His friends say he was the most active poster on the Inside Ole Miss, Ole Coach Sports Media Message Board. He was an active contributor to the Ole Miss Fellowship of Christian Athletes and fondly referred to Ole Miss as “our beloved University”.

Gerald was active in the Oxford community and had served on the Mayor’s Advisory Committee.  He enjoyed two lunch groups with Ole Miss men friends who met at the 1810 Grill on Mondays and Newks on Thursdays.

Survivors include his wife, Brinkley Kathryn Gaia of Oxford, MS; his daughter Jole Gaia Lovelace and her husband, Jason, of Germantown, TN; his sister Cheryl Gaia Eisenlau and her husband, Charlie, of The Villages, FL; his brother, Kenneth Lambert “Skip” Gaia and his wife, Billie Jo, of Horseshoe Lake, AR; six grandchildren, Austin May, Julianne Lesley, Meredith Lesley, Garner Lesley, Hayden Lovelace and Sawyer Lovelace; and five great-grandchildren.

Memorial contributions in Mr. Gaia’s memory may be made to Christ Presbyterian Church Building Fund, 1720 University Avenue, Oxford, MS 38655 or Oxford-Lafayette Humane Society, 413 McElroy, Oxford, MS 38655.

For additional information or to sign an online guestbook, please visit our website at www.wallerfuneralhome.com or call 662-234-7971.