Evelyn S. Gay, 1907 – 1975

recipient of

Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic’s Legacy Award

April 2022

Evelyn Gay was a passionate advocate for reproductive health care and lifelong supporter of Planned Parenthood. She was the first President of the Board of Planned Parenthood of North Suffolk.

Mrs. Gay was one of a small group of family planning advocates from the Huntington area and led the effort to establish a Planned Parenthood health center on New York Avenue in Huntington in 1950. It was a small, four-room office. With the help of her friend, Florence Furze, and their husbands, the center opened on March 21, 1950, after securing used medical equipment for a total outlay of $370. According to records, five patients received care that day. In 1962, the center relocated to Elm Street, and in 1970, the center relocated again to East Carver Street, and its expansion in 1976 was made possible from Mrs. Gay’s bequest.

Mrs. Gay, a Huntington Bay resident, was active in Planned Parenthood until her death in 1975. Her husband, William Sr. and their three sons, William Jr., Charles, and Robert, continued her support of Planned Parenthood with her son Robert also serving as a member of the Board until 2009.

Evelyn was also a Huntington Library trustee in the 1950s and 1960s, a Cub Scouts den mother, certified in Red Cross First Aid, and loved by all who knew her.

PPHP is thrilled to honor her and her family for their loyal friendship and support.