Gayle Margaret Gomez

Gayle married Richard "Dick" Hamlin, Sr. in November of 1969 and started a family soon after. They moved throughout the Midwest following Richard’s career, with stops in Pampa, Texas; Emporia, Kansas; Rawlins, Wyoming; and Ulysses, Kansas, before settling down in Americus, Kansas in 1984. Gayle and Richard divorced after 26 years of marriage and she moved into Emporia in 1995. She married Candelario Gomez in 1996. They spent twelve years together before getting a divorce.

Gayle took great pride in being a mother and homemaker. Later, she worked outside the home in various positions throughout the Emporia area, most notably as receptionist at Emporia Orthodontics for Dr. Stephen Haught, DDS. She held that role for over 20 years before officially retiring in 2022.

Gayle was a devoted member of the Twelfth Avenue Baptist Church in Emporia where she attended the Women’s Bible Study Group.

She will live on in the hearts and cherished memories of her daughter, Chantal (Denis) Sandoval of Aurora, Colorado; her sons, Richard Hamlin, Jr. of rural Americus, Shawn (Michelle) Hamlin of Emporia, Todd (Christina) Hamlin of Emporia, Joshua (Lea) Hamlin of Americus; a beloved former daughter-in-law, Lacie Hamlin of rural Americus; sister, Carol (Lee) Gross of Lakewood, Colorado; a brother, William (Mary) Wilken of Lakin, Kansas, a sister-in-law, Nancy Wilken of Garden City, Kansas, a brother-in-law, Thomas Pollan of Wichita, Kansas; twelve grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; numerous extended family and a community of friends. Gayle was anticipating the arrival of another grandchild and 2 great-grandchildren in the near future.