St. Helena shrimper and surfer Robert Gay remembered for his ‘easygoing spirit’
Robert Gay, one of the owners of the venerable Gay Fish Co. on St. Helena Island, a well-known Lowcountry shrimper and local surfing pioneer, has died, according to family members.
“He was a kind-hearted man with a love of the sea and surf almost as strong as the love for his family,” his daughter, Hilary Gallop, said on Facebook in announcing his death early Thursday morning.
When he died, Gay was surrounded by family, Gallop said, “and gave us a sweet smile at the end.”
Additional information, including his age and cause of death, was not immediately available. Gallop said celebration of life plans would be posted on Gay’s Facebook page once they are finalized.
Gay Fish Co.’s Cyndy Carr, Robert Gay’s niece, said her uncle was a shrimper his entire life.
When he wasn’t shrimping, he might be found surfing on Hunting Island.
Gay, who served in the U.S. Army, was a trailblazer in Beaufort-area surfing scene who helped start the Hunting Island Surfing Association in the 1960s, according to Beaufort Gazette and Island Packet archives. At one time, Gay owned a surf shop on St. Helena Island.
“I don’t think he had an enemy in the world,” Carr said. “He was a very kind, easygoing, carefree spirit.”
Gay Fish Co., a landmark on Sea Island Parkway on St. Helena Island, was founded in 1948 by John H. “Buster” Gay and his wife, Hilda. They passed the business down to their five children, including Robert. With Robert’s death, Charles Gay, Cyndy’s father, and Tim Gay, her brother, are the remaining owners.
According to the company’s website, the family-run company came “from its humble beginnings and has grown into a trusted local business run by Buster’s children and grandchildren. It continues the legacy of providing fresh, wild-caught seafood to locals and visitors alike.”
Leaving a legacy on the water
“Enjoy a sunrise, take a deep breath of salty air, or slide down the face of a glassy wave in honor of him,” Hilary Gallop said of her father. “We miss him so much already.”
“Our hearts are with the Gay Family,” Friends of Hunting Island State Park Inc., a not-for-profit that supports the park, wrote on Facebook. “What a treasure of a man.”
This story was originally published November 7, 2025 at 4:30 PM.
