Sept. 9, 1938 ­– April 22, 2015

Gail Anne Schlau, a native of Buffalo, died Wednesday at her home in Beverly Hills, Mich., after a brief illness. She was 76.

The former Gail Anne Stillwell was a graduate of Amherst High School. She married John “Jack” Schlau in 1959 in St. Leo’s Catholic Church, Eggertsville, and they lived in the Town of Tonawanda until 1973, when they moved to Royal Oak, Mich.

Mrs. Schlau was a homemaker for most of her married life, staying home to raise her four children. In recent years, she worked at the Royal Oak Golf Course and taught dance at Royal Oak Kimball High School.

She was a “hockey mom” before the term became popular, and was very involved in the sport with her children and grandchildren. She loved to play golf and enjoyed traveling to Crystal Mountain, Mich., each year for ski vacations. The holidays were very special to Mrs. Schlau and she took great pride in decorating her home to welcome family and friends for seasonal celebrations. 

Mrs. Schlau’s philosophy of life was symbolized by the traditional Irish Claddagh ring that she always wore: the heart representing love, the crown representing loyalty and the embracing hands representing friendship.

Mrs. Schlau was a parishioner at the National Shrine of the Little Flower Basilica in Royal Oak, where her funeral Mass will be celebrated Monday at 10 a.m.

She is survived by her husband of 55 years, Jack; three sons, John Jr., Kevin and Kurt; a daughter, Mary Beth Paswater; and nine grandchildren.