Grace French ("Gay") Casey, age 88, of Southport passed away on Monday, June 6, 2016. Mrs. Casey was born December 29, 1927, in Needham, Massachusetts, the daughter of the late James Dudley and Sarah Pickard French of Newberry, South Carolina. She was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church and a volunteer at Dosher Memorial Hospital for many years. Gay was a talented artist; her many scenes of Southport and her "Grandma Moses" style paintings were displayed at Franklin Square Art Gallery. Gay will be forever remembered for her gorgeous penmanship and the time-honored art of letter writing. She joins her late husband William Joseph Casey; and is remembered by loving family members including two sons, William J. Casey Jr. and wife Ginny of West Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and Timothy P. Casey and wife Pam of Lakewood, Colorado; two daughters, Nancy Casey Petrucka and husband Russell of Apalachicola, Florida, and Debbie Casey of Egremont, Massachusetts; and a sister, Dorothy Epting of Newberry, South Carolina. She was blessed with 11 grandchildren and their families. The funeral mass will be celebrated at 11 o'clock in the morning on Thursday, June 16, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. The family would like to express heartfelt appreciation to, and request that memorial contributions be made to, Carillon Assisted Living, 1125 E. Leonard St., Southport, NC 28461 and to Lower Cape Fear Hospice, 955 Mercy Lane, Bolivia, NC 28422 for their loving care of Grace. Online condolences may be made at www.peacocknewnamwhite.com. Peacock-Newnam & White Funeral and Cremation Service, Southport.