Passing of a pioneer

Gail Cross [Ocala Style file photo/John Jernigan]

Gail Cross, the first woman elected to the Marion County Board of County Commissioners, who later turned her passion for helping others into an exemplary tenure as head of Marion Senior Services, has passed away.

Ellen Gail Cross, 77, born June 20, 1945, in Winter Haven to Freemont and Elva Stanley, died peacefully Saturday, June 3, while under the care of the E.W. and Lucille Gates Hospice House in Ocala, surrounded by her family.

The Cross family moved to Ocala 47 years ago and Gail Cross soon began a legacy of public service and advocacy for seniors and others in need.

The mother of two was first elected to the county commission in 1984, shattering its “glass ceiling,” and busting up the five-member all-male board for good, cementing her place in the chronicles of the county’s history.

Her pioneering win paved the way for Judy Johnson, who became the second woman elected to the commission in 1992, and others, including current commissioners Kathy Bryant and Michelle Stone.

“She was unassuming and humble and not a self-promoter at all,” said Scott Cross, Gail’s husband of 53 years, a U.S. Navy veteran and retired attorney. “But she understood the importance of her win.”

Johnson, who also served two terms, said no one expected Cross to run.

“First of all, she was incredibly brave to run, especially in a community where the good ole boys were still running things,” she said. “But she did, and she won and paved the way for the rest of us.”

Once in office, Cross never looked back.

“She was the voice of reason on the commission; she got along well with her fellow commissioners, and they respected her because she did her homework,” said Johnson. “She had the respect of the cross currents in the community and that was important.”

In a 2019 interview with “Ocala Style” magazine for a story about women trailblazers, Cross spoke about the significance of her election nearly 40 years ago.

“A lot of people had a hard time transitioning with that, specifically since it was considered to be a male position,” she said. “They didn’t exactly know what to do about me.”

“It was a boys’ club,” she continued. “I think if they had questions, they would call another commissioner to ask him instead, and that’s OK. Change is hard for people; I was the first woman to be elected to the county commission, and there has been one on the commission ever since and two today.”

Longtime friends fondly remembered Cross for her ability to navigate through what was then uncharted territory and her dedication to helping the less fortunate.

“In those days, women weren’t expected to be fearless, and she was fearless,” said Toni James, the former longtime president and CEO of United Way of Marion County. “She said she had broken the glass ceiling, and we were all so proud of her. Back then, in the 1980s, it was tough to change who was in charge and it wasn’t easy for women to stand up to men, but she did.”.

Former “Ocala Star-Banner” reporter and editor Elaine Hamaker Woodruff, who covered the commission during Cross’ tenure and eventually became friends with her, said the first-time officeholder faced many challenges while on the commission, including the creation of the county’s first state-mandated comprehensive land use plan, and much-needed capital improvements, among other major issues.

“There were many, many commission meetings over the comprehensive plan and they sometimes went until 2 in the morning,” said Woodruff, who now lives in Norfolk, Virginia. “They had heated discussions sometimes, but she was always a lady who they respected, and she persevered through it all and they worked on things together.

“She was a real guiding light,” Woodruff said. “She was very dedicated to her family, of course, but somehow she fit everything in.”

After serving two terms, Cross left the commission in 1992, but her devotion to public service carried on. She quickly turned her attention to the United Way of Marion County, where she served on the board, eventually becoming the chairperson of the annual fundraising campaign in 1994.

“She was instrumental in helping us raise the critical funds we needed,” said James, who became closer to Cross during the campaign. “She used a phrase at the United Way about people in need: ‘People need a hand up and not a handout.’”

In 1996, Cross was named the executive director of Marion Senior Services and quickly brought about needed changes to the organization through staunch leadership and advocacy for the elderly, including the implementation of Meals on Wheels, expansion of its transportation program and congregate meal sites, and the construction of a new facility.

“The biggest thing we accomplished is that we wrote the first Community Development Block Grant (application) for a nonprofit in the county and were able to get a new building, which was hugely needed,” Cross told “Ocala Style” for the 2019 article.

Longtime friend Ellen Amatea said she was always struck by how Cross was always calm under pressure, even when dealing with critical problems in the organizations she served.

“She was a very intelligent woman, and she had a number of administrative roles over the years,” said Amatea, who first met Cross at the University of Florida in 1974. “We had a very long friendship, and she was a great mentor to me.”

The two friends, both English majors, were avid readers and helped form a monthly book club 30 years ago. Cross remained active in it until recently, when health issues prevented her from attending, Amatea said.

Woodruff said Cross told her once her parents had urged her to be of service to the people and that she took it seriously and wanted to serve her community.

“She had so many different endeavors,” she said. “She was always doing something to serve the people; that was deeply engrained in her.”

Despite all her accomplishments on the Marion County commission, the United Way and at Marion Senior Services, Scott Cross said his wife was most proud of her volunteer work at Interfaith Emergency Services following her retirement in 2009.

“She just showed up there and the director had no idea about her other activities from the past or her background,” he said. “She just really loved it and was very proud of having been able to do that.”

Cross and Beth McCall were honored in 2018 with Interfaith’s Legacy of Love award. McCall, in an email, said Cross was a “mentor to me and many other women.”

“Her years of service as the executive director of Marion Senior Services helped so many of our vulnerable senior citizens,” wrote McCall. “Her advocacy for the clients she served, her servant heart, and her strong leadership has helped make Ocala Marion County a great place to live.”

Scott Cross said his wife loved spending time with their three grandchildren whenever possible, reading to them when they were little, and teaching them how to play cards and board games including Monopoly and Yahtzee when they got older.

“When our daughter returned home after Gail died last week, her family was playing Yahtzee and had an empty chair at the table in honor of her and were taking turns throwing the dice when it was Gail’s turn,” he said.

Cross was a graduate of Duke University, where she met Scott and earned a bachelor of arts degree in English; Emory University, where she obtained a master’s degree in teaching and taught middle school while Scott, by then her husband, was stationed with the U.S. Navy in Maryland; and the University of Florida, where she earned a doctorate in counselor education while Scott was stationed overseas.

She was a member of Christ the King Anglican Church, and a former member of the Ocala Women’s Network.

Besides Scott, Gail Cross is survived by her son, Eric Cross (Brittany); daughter Ellen Feeney (Dan); grandchildren Scotty and Emily Feeney, and Annabel Cross. She was preceded in death by her parents and both her sisters, Marsha Rossi and Judy Gosling.

Funeral services will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 17, at Christ the King, 4440 SE Third Ave., Ocala. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Marion Senior Services or Interfaith Emergency Services.