October 3, 1942 – August 24, 2022
Gayle Anne Singer (née Fulton) passed away August 24, 2022, 49 days prior to her 80th birthday.
She had made her home in Florence, AZ, for the past 6 years after moving from Westfield, Indiana. She was born October 3, 1942, at her parents’ small family farm near Washington, PA. This is where she first learned to love horses as well as other farm animals, including chickens. Her parents were Samuel Byron Fulton and Katherine Irene Donson. She is survived by her husband, John Byron Singer, of 56 years, two daughters- Ashley Elizabeth and Whitney Katherine and Whitney’s husband Steven J. Tolle, all residents of Queen Creek, AZ.
She graduated from Trinity High School, Washington, PA, in 1960; California State College, California, PA, in 1964 with a Bachelor of Science in Education and Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY, in 1974 with a Master of Arts. She taught fifth and sixth grade elementary education for 30 years in Harford County,MD; Washington,PA; South Milwaukee,WI; Massapequa, NY and Westfield, IN. She claimed to be smarter than a fifth grader. She was a lifelong lover of horses, gravitating to the American Morgan Horse after she and her husband purchased their first Morgan in 1974. When their daughter Whitney began showing Morgans, they became very active in the Indiana Morgan Horse Club, Gold Cup Regional Morgan Horse Championship, the American Morgan Horse Association as well as the Grand National and World Championship Morgan Horse Show.
During that period, they also bred and showed Collies. Gayle’s Morgan Horse contributions included Indiana Morgan Horse Club Youth Director, American Morgan Horse Association (AMHA) Board of Directors 2011 through 2016 and the National Museum of the Morgan Horse Committee where she initiated the first Battle of the Buckets fund raiser at the Morgan Grand National. She was an AMHA Youth of the Year competition volunteer and groomed several Youth of the Year award winners.
She was cited as the 2006 AMHA Youth Person of the Year and in 2018 the Dr Albert Lucine Promoter Award. As per her and Byron’s plans, she will be cremated and they have a burial plot in Washington, PA. It is on a hilltop right next to her parents’ graves. There will be a celebration of life memorial service on October 1st at 11:00 am at Gayle and Byron’s church Gold Canyon United Methodist Church in Gold Canyon, AZ. The memorial service will be streamed on the internet for those who cannot attend. All are welcome to come in person, but not expected.
In lieu of flowers, etc, donations in her memory can be made to The Heart That Gives Foundation. There will be a special donation link for Gayle on their page: THTGF – The Heart That Gives Foundation. THTGF is a 501c3 organization that she had been very passionate about over the the last few years.
Gayle was one of a kind.
