AVONIA GAIL (TAYLOR) RUBRIGHT
On Aug. 16, 2023, surrounded by her beloved family, Avonia Gail (Taylor) Rubright, 64, Clinton, passed away after a courageous battle with cancer.
Gail was born Aug. 24, 1958, to Earl Taylor and Pearl Lane in Knoxville. After Gail graduated from Young High School in 1976, she earned a nursing degree from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and began her first nursing job at Baptist Hospital. She went back to school to complete a master’s degree in nursing administration from East Tennessee State University allowing her to work for the Tennessee Department of Health until she retired in 2022.
In June 2012, Gail married Tom Rubright, blending two families together. Gail and Tom shared a love of traveling, whether it was on the back of a motorcycle through the mountains, on a cruise ship to a tropical destination, or on a simple beach trip with family. The importance of spending time with family was evident in their presence at school productions, ballgames, dance recitals, graduations, and musicals. Both Tom and Gail loved attending Highland View Church of Christ for years and are currently members of Hardin Valley Church of Christ.
Gail loved the Lord and was a selfless servant of Christ, an excellent example of loving your neighbor as yourself. She tirelessly and generously put into practice a love for serving others, putting others first, and helping people in need. Her smile was infectious and made you feel accepted when that smile was directed toward you. She was driven and determined, hard-working and caring, a thoughtful gift-giver, and an avid Vol fan. She held several titles…mother, wife, nurse, sister…the icing on the cake being her job as Nana. She loved her sons but her granddaughter, Lynlee became her world.
She was preceded in death by: Parents, Earl Taylor and Pearl Lane; her dear stepfather, Clifford Lane; and nephew, Christopher Kinkead.
She is survived by: Beloved husband, Tom Rubright; son, Eric Salage and his wife Chanell; son, David Salage; granddaughter, Lynlee Salage; brothers, Donnie Lane, David Taylor and wife Erin Taylor; sister, Renee Lane; nieces and nephews, Austin Kinkead, Madison Taylor, Donnie Lane Jr., Stacy Sweeney; many great-nieces and nephews; and the Rubright family: stepdaughter, Teresa McNelly and her husband Doug; stepdaughter, Jennifer Cummins and her husband Eric, stepdaughter, Cara Sheets and her husband Trevor; grandchildren, Becca Ray, Savannah McNeely, Sydney McNelly, Neal, Ben, Luke, and William Cummins, Anderson and Crosby Sheets.
A receiving of friends is scheduled from 5 – 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, at Holley Gamble Funeral Home in Clinton, with a service to follow.
Graveside services will take place at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023, at Grandview Memorial Garden, Clinton. Larry Cline, minister at Hardin Valley Church of Christ, will be officiating.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution in memory of Gail to The American Cancer Society or The University of Tennessee Medical Center. Gifts can be made online (https://www.utmedicalcenter.org/give-back/ways-give) or sent to the Office of Philanthropy at: 2121 Medical Center Way, Suite 110, Knoxville, TN 37920.
Gail’s legacy of helping those in need could also be continued at Christmastime by generously giving to and supporting ministries that help provide presents and necessities to local children.
Holley Gamble Funeral Home in Clinton is in charge of all arrangements.
holleygamble.com