Dallas F. Gay Jr., a prominent Gainesville businessman who in recent years became a champion in the fight against opioid addiction, died Monday at his home. He was 80.
When his 21-year-old grandson, Jeffrey, died in 2012, Gay dedicated himself to helping prevent similar tragedies from happening to other families.
His search for information about opioid abuse led him to two prominent health care professionals in Gainesville – Dr. Jack Chapman, an ophthalmologist, and Dr. Tennent Slack, an anesthesiologist and pain specialist.
Gay and the two physicians launched a public education campaign they called “Think About It,” emphasizing simple steps to help prevent medication abuse. They later persuaded the Medical Association of Georgia Foundation to take the “Think About It” campaign statewide.
Gay later lobbied the General Assembly to pass the “911 Medical Amnesty/Naloxone Law,” which Gov. Nathan Deal signed into law.
State Sen. Butch Miller worked on the law with Gay.
"Dallas dedicated many years to the health and well-being of those dealing with the harsh life of addiction," Miller said. "I am proud to have had the opportunity to work with him on the Jeffrey Dallas Gay, Jr. Act."
The law provides limited legal immunity to intoxicated minors who seek help for themselves or others in drug-use situations. It also provides amnesty to anyone who prescribes, issues or administers naloxone to a person who appears to be overdosing. Naloxone is a medication that reverses opiate overdose when given as an injection or used as a nasal spray.
For his efforts, Dallas received the Medical Association of Georgia’s "Donna Glass Non-Physician Distinguished Service Award", the "Prevention Champion Award" from The Council on Alcohol and Drugs, the "Community Impact Award" from the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce, and Rotary Club’s "Man of The Year."
Dr. Pepper Brown presented the Rotary Man of the Year award to Gay in 2019.
"This is an easy presentation for me, because this man's efforts have saved countless lives in the state of Georgia," Brown said.
Gay was born in Chamblee in 1941, but he moved his family to Gainesville in 1973. He received a business degree in accounting from Emory University followed by an MBA in accounting and finance from Georgia State University. Gay went on to pursue a doctorate in business administration at Georgia State University.
Gay began his business career in 1963 when he joined Peat, Marwick, Mitchell, & Co. and would shortly thereafter earn his CPA certification. He later joined the faculty at Georgia Tech as a professor of accounting and business.
In 1978, Dallas became the senior vice president and later president of American Proteins. He became a business owner in 1986 when the he acquired Protein Products, Inc., which is still operated today by the family. In 1995, the family invested in Turneffe Island Lodge, a fishing and scuba diving resort located 30 miles off the coast of Belize. Gay spent the next six years learning how to manage and build a successful resort business.
Gay was passionate about fly fishing, hiking, travel, history, projects at the family’s mountain property, and most any outdoor adventures. Some of his favorite places were New Zealand, Scotland, Colorado, and his family retreat in Ellijay which he named "Silvertip."
A memorial service will be held at the Gainesville First United Methodist Church on Sunday, February 27 at 2 p.m. with a visitation immediately following. In lieu of flowers, donations honoring Gay's life can be made to J’s Place Recovery Center, Hospice of Northeast Georgia Medical Center, and Gainesville First United Methodist Church.
