Rosalyn Gail Huss

     Rosalyn Gail Huss departed this life on September 11, 2022.  She is preceded in death by her father, Rev. Joseph Wiley Hunter, her mother, Lois Marie McElhannon Hunter, her nephew John Michael Pruett, and her beloved husband, Charles Thomas Huss.  Gail, as she preferred to be called, was a force to be reckoned with her entire life.  A descendant of a veteran of the Revolutionary War, John McElhannon, Gail had a love of country and a spirit for service to others. 

     She was born on October 17, 1947 in El Dorado, Arkansas, and went to college at Southern State College, where she met and married Charles Thomas (Tom) Huss.  Both found in each other the desire to change the world and find ways to empower the oppressed and amplify the voices of those not heard.  During the 1960’s and 1970’s, they worked as social activists in the Civil Rights movement and the Women’s Rights movement and advocated for racial equality in the segregated south.    

     Gail’s professional work life began as a Field Director and Camp Director for the Arkansas Girl Scouts Council in the 1970’s in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, helping to organize scout troops, recruit and train Girl Scout leaders, and plan large events.  From 1970 to 1976, she was the Director of Camp Taloha before leaving to pursue a lifelong dream of completing her nursing degree.  Her dedication to helping others facing illness was a calling that she would continue for the remainder of her professional life. As a nurse, she worked for the Southern Pacific/Cotton Belt Railway (Union Pacific), advocating for the safety of railroad workers. Eventually, she became the Health Services Administrator and Interim Medical Director in San Francisco, California, where she was known for wearing a pin made of broken glass to indicate to others that she had broken through the glass ceiling. 

     In 1994, Gail began her next career as a founding member of the Center for Toxicology and Environmental Health (CTEH).  Through CTEH, she was sent into major disasters like Hurricane Katrina and the BP Oil Spill, to help provide essential medical care and help bring light to the dark times.  During this time, Gail published scientific articles and built a level of expertise unmatched by others in her field at that time.  Gail retired from CTEH proud of a full career as an Occupational Health Nurse. However, she continued to work as an expert consultant long after her retirement.

     Gail Huss moved to Russellville, Arkansas after her retirement and enjoyed traveling and spending time with her children and grandchildren.  She is survived by her sisters, Janice Elizabeth Hunter Pruett and Vicki Lynne Arrington (James); her cousin, James (Mac) McElhannon; her son, Sean Thomas Huss (Angela Black); her daughter, Kristen Nicole Williamson; her grandson, Ethan Thomas Huss; her granddaughter, Sydney Morgan Martinez (Chris Martinez, Jr.); her great grandchildren, Christopher (Kit) Patrick Martinez, III, and Zoe Morgan Martinez; her niece Dawn Hunter Pruett Guajardo (J. Anthony Guajardo Jr.) and their children Diamond Alyssa Mascorro, J. Anthony Guajardo III, Jacob Alexander Guajardo; her nephew, Thomas Mercer Britt III (Mary) and their children, Kiya Rose Britt, Hunter Ashton Britt, Mia Milynn Harrison, and Macy Nicole Friddle (Jonathan); her niece, Ashley Powell Roberson (Eric) and their children, Cooper Powell Roberson and Parker William Roberson; her four very good dogs, and one angry cat.  She also leaves behind many very dear friends, including Susie Carriere, Auburn Steward, and Kim Alvis who were as close as family.