Gayle Mattingly Kesinger, a former Knoxville resident, has died in Dallas, Texas, at age 84. Brother and sister-in-law, Tom and Susan Mattingly, continue to live in Knoxville, and her father, the late Rev. Dr. Thomas J. Mattingly, was senior pastor of First Christian Church in Knoxville from 1955 until his death in 1966.
Gayle graduated from Central High School and attended both the University of Tennessee and Transylvania College in Lexington, Kentucky. She graduated in health information management from St. Joseph’s Hospital in Houston, Texas.
Her career started in Houston at M. D. Anderson Hospital. After passing the national registry exam for health information management, she became the director of medical records at Pasadena General Hospital at just 21. She followed her career to Grand Rapids and Lansing, Michigan, and finally to Dallas, Texas, to Methodist Hospital and Parkland Memorial Hospital, retiring in 2000.
Her volunteer work at St. Michael & All Angels Episcopal Church was extensive and is included in this obituary announcement.
Her motto, a quote by Stephen Grellet, bears restating: “I shall pass through this world but once. Any good thing, therefore, that I can do or any kindness that I can show any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it for I shall not pass this way again.”
Funeral services were rescheduled until Saturday, Feb. 4, at 11 a.m. because of weather conditions in Dallas. Services will be livestreamed.