Gayla Aileen Halcomb Ritch

With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of our beloved Gayla Aileen Halcomb Ritch on Tuesday, January 6, 2026, at the age of 78. She was a resident of Foley, Alabama, for the past 15 years after spending most of her life in Huntsville. Gay or GG (Grandma Gay) touched many with her welcoming, kind nature and infectious smile. She never met a stranger.

Some of her fondest memories included cheering for the Crimson Tide, singing with the First Baptist Church Tour Choir, attending Jacksonville State University, visiting Graceland with her brother and daughter, and watching her twin grandchildren flourish into thriving adults. She loved baking biscuits, apple pies, and chicken & dumplings with her grandchildren, and picking them up in her Alabama “A” adorned vehicle. Gay earned her Interior Design Certificate from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in 2002 and retired from AT&T as a Customer Service Representative in 2007 after 35 years of service. She received numerous Customer Commendations for her ability to listen, and she later trained other CSRs at the phone company.

Gay was preceded in death by her husband, Ernest William Ritch, and her parents, Thomas Glenn and Mary Aileen McCollum Halcomb. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Laura Lillian Ritch Morin and Aaron Shannon Morin of Foley, her grandchildren, Gabriel Xavier Morin and Violet Grace Morin, her granddaughter-in-law, Adriana Valeria Morin-Rios, her great-grandson, Lucas Flynn Morin, and her 2 brothers, Daniel Glenn Halcomb and William McCollum Halcomb.

She had a very giving heart and completed countless selfless acts in her lifetime. Gay would buy and collect much-needed items for the Chi-Ho Mansion, a short-term home for abused, abandoned, and neglected children. She served on its board for several years. After retirement, Gay volunteered her time as a receptionist for the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra where she used her iconic “telephone voice” to answer calls and direct inquiries. Upon moving to Baldwin County, she became an active member of the Bon Secour Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Gulf Shores Methodist Church. It brought her joy to give gift cards to all the employees at her favorite restaurants each major holiday.

In lieu of flowers and to reflect Gay’s love of music, the family suggests memorial contributions be made to the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra (https://www.hso.org/support/donate). Although the Chi-Ho Mansion is now closed, a monetary or item donation to Hope Place, an emergency domestic violence shelter in Madison County (https://csna.org/) would also be a great choice to donate to in Gay’s memory.

A casual visitation will take place on February 7, 2026, from 10 a.m. to noon at Laughlin Service Funeral Home in Huntsville. Because of her deep love of seashells, we invite all who knew and loved Gay to join us in honoring her memory by bringing a shell to place at rest with GG.

ARRANGEMENTS BY
WOLFE-BAYVIEW
FUNERAL HOMES
& CREMATORY, INC.
2551 S. MCKENZIE ST.
FOLEY, AL 36535
(251) 943-2391
www.wolfefuneralhomes.com