Gail Denise Collins (Matas)

Gail Denise Collins (Matas), 66, of Carmel, Indiana, was born on March 3, 1958 and passed away peacefully on April 22, 2024 surrounded by her immediate family and best friends. Gail dedicated her life to her family and service to others. She made everyone feel loved, welcomed, and at ease in her presence. 

Gail was born in Akron, Ohio and moved to Phoenix, Arizona before her junior year of high school. Gail grew up with two younger brothers as well as a close-knit extended family with more than 50 first cousins. 

Gail attended Anderson University, where she met Jay and graduated with a business degree. She worked in HR at USA Funds until the birth of her daughters. Gail was a loving and involved mother who volunteered for her children’s activities, baked cookies for the first day of school, and put daily notes in lunch boxes. She was a gracious and hospitable host who enjoyed opening her home to friends and family. She made a special chocolate cake for family members' birthdays that reached them no matter the distance, whether shipped internationally or carried on a plane. Every Christmas, she continued the Slovak tradition of making kolache for loved ones. 

Gail attended Church at the Crossing for more than 40 years, where she touched countless lives. She served as a leader for Stephen Ministry, mentored young mothers through MOPs (Mothers of Preschoolers), and worked in the church office. She was committed to Village Project Africa, providing tuition for multiple children over many years, and traveling several times to Kenya as a volunteer at the school. Gail also participated in Bible Study Fellowship, taught children’s Sunday School, sang in the choir, and served on the Board of Elders. 

Gail thrived in warm weather and sunshine, surrounded by the people she loved. She always made time to sit on the patio in the sun, tend to her garden, and walk on the Monon Trail. She enjoyed hiking in the desert hills near her parents’ house, and being near any body of water, especially the ocean. Gail was curious and full of adventure. She read and did the crossword puzzle every day and was learning Spanish to speak with her son-in-law’s family (800+ day streak on Duolingo). She loved speed, as evidenced by her fulfilled dream of doing an Indy 500 car ride-along and her multiple speeding tickets. 

She loved to travel, and some of her favorite trips included visiting her daughters in California and New York, and family trips to Uruguay, Brazil, Italy, Switzerland, France, and Norway. Gail and Jay celebrated milestone anniversaries with travel, including a Mediterranean cruise (25th) and England and Ireland (40th). She enjoyed frequent girls’ trips to Florida and California and visited her family in Phoenix multiple times a year. 

Gail is survived by Jay, her loving husband of 43 years (June 28, 1980), and their two daughters, Kelsey (Peter) and Kimberly (Daniel); her two brothers, Brian (Karen), and Craig (Anita); and her parents, Paul and Esther Matas. 

A memorial service for Gail will be held at Church at the Crossing (9111 Haverstick Road, Indianapolis, IN 46240) on May 3, 2024 at 12:00 PM. Visitation will be from 10:00-11:45 AM. Memorial contributions may be made using this link villageprojectafrica.org or mailed to Village Project Africa (P.O. Box 382 Noblesville, IN 46061). If you have any stories or memories about Gail that you’d like to share with her family, please send them to [email protected].

Gail’s unbounded love and kindness will be deeply missed by all those who were privileged enough to share this life with her. May her memory be a blessing and a continual source of comfort and inspiration.