Gay Semler Estin, 92, of Woodcrest Village in New London, passed away on November 5, 2021.

Gay was born in New York City on March 7,1929, to Grace Parker Semler and George Herbert Semler. She attended Brearley School in New York City, and Garrison Forest School in Maryland. Her summers were spent in Wainscott and East Hampton, Long Island. Gay went to Vassar College, class of 1951 and the University of Geneva in Switzerland.

In 1957, Gay married Hans Howard Estin and moved to the North Shore of Boston. They had two daughters, Hilary and Alex. She designed a beautiful home, cooked gourmet meals, chaired multiple symphony and museum galas, studied photography, and spent her weekends skiing in Sugarbush, Vermont.

In 1972, she moved to Aspen, Colorado where she created and ran two restaurants and renewed her love for riding horses. This led her to return to the East Coast and settle in Middleburg, Virginia, where she rode with three different Hunt Clubs and became a competitive award-winning equestrian. Her partner of 25 years was George Beavers III.

Aside from horses, Gay’s greatest passion was designing houses and gardens. Throughout her adult life she created 17 magnificent homes. Each time she completed one, she became excited and inspired to begin a new creative design project.

Gay lived her final years near her daughter, Alex, in New Hampshire, enjoying the beauty and birdlife of the area.

She was predeceased by her parents, her brother, George Herbert Semler Jr., her sister Joan Achelis Hamilton, her brother Peter Semler, her grandparents Horatio and Anna Parker, her former husband Hans, and her partner George.

Gay is survived by her two daughters, Hilary Estin Hood (John Hood) of Mill Valley, California, and Alexandra Howard Estin of Andover, New Hampshire, and three Granddaughters Whitney Parker Rosso, Siena Alexandra Hood and Lila Estin Hood, and Great Grandson Miles John Rosso.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Loon Preservation Committee, PO Box 604, Moultonborough, NH 03253 or on the website loon.org.