Cyndy Gay Carr
From Heels to Boots
story by KATE HAMILTON PARDEE photos by SUSAN DELOACH
To quote the beloved local writer Pat Conroy, “A story is a living thing; it moves and shifts.”
Cyndy Gay Carr has traded in her heels for work boots and proves this to be true by stepping away from selling mortgages and into selling seafood.
After a career in home mortgage loans, she now serves as business manager for Gay Fish Company in tandem with her father Charles, Uncle Robert, and brother Tim. She has never looked back.
Gay Fish Company was founded by Cyndy’s grandparents, John H. Gay Sr., and Hilda S. Gay. The couple lived on Lady’s Island, and on the weekends, John would travel to St Helena to go shrimping. Eventually, he purchased a bigger boat and the property on St. Helena, where they opened Gay Fish Company in 1948. As Cyndy clearly states with a smile, “There was more money in shrimping than working as an electrician at the Beaufort Naval Hospital,” referring to his prior work.
John and Hilda had five boys and one girl. “Growing up, they each had a role in the business’s day-to-day operations based on age and experience. They worked their way up from unloading and icing shrimp to driving a truck and eventually running a boat,” Cyndy shares. “They all learned a trade and life skills that have carried on for generations, and my children are learning the same way,” says Cyndy.
Cyndy grew up on St. Helena Island surrounded by family and the beautiful marsh. “Until the age of two, we lived in what we called the ‘Little House’ before moving closer to Gay Fish Company to the ‘Big House.’” Her days were filled with riding her beloved horses at her parent’s farm. “I spent all my days in the barn and eventually traveled across the State for horse shows, and I wanted to be a horse trainer.”
Her hopes to pursue this path tragically ended when the couple with whom she secured an internship died in a plane crash. She studied at Technical College of the Lowcountry, where she received an associate degree in general litigation as a paralegal. She went into the real estate field, working as a title abstractor and then as a closing paralegal for ten years.
Her career continued with commercial lending at Branch Banking and Trust Company, now known as Truist. More recently, she was a loan originator at Gateway Mortgage for about six years. When asked how these roles prepared her for her current position, she replies, “Each job required dealing with the public, listening to their needs, working under pressure, and executing the required tasks by working hard and always being honest.”
At sixteen, Cyndy met her high school sweetheart, Tom Carr, and the two were married on St Helena in 1995. Tom works in antique restoration, and they have two children. Andrew will graduate from USC-Aiken in May with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, and Lillian is a senior at Beaufort High. She plans to further her education by pursuing a degree in Veterinary Technology. “We are very proud of them,” says Cyndy with a warm smile.
One thing that remains constant in her family is the shrimp business. She says, “It was just the way we were raised. All my dad’s siblings lived nearby, so we had lots of cousins to run around with on St. Helena. Looking back, it was almost like we had the Island to ourselves.”
Cyndy remembers the sounds of the winch on the A-frame, watching it hoist shrimp from boats to the heading tables and riding with her dad in the bronze-colored van to pick up neighboring women that would spend time heading the shrimp. She describes the importance of these women, affectionately called headers. They would remove the shrimp heads to stop the decomposition, keeping them fresh. “We have a troff system, and since we use no preservatives on the shrimp, the heads are returned to the sea for feed.” The manual process remains the same today.
Cyndy fondly remembers riding shotgun in the van with her dad, picking up the women at their homes on St. Helena and returning them home after a long day.
She also loved to sit with her grandmother, Hilda, in the back office. “She had this wonderful cabinet filled with Moon Pies that she often sold to visiting children.” Cyndy shares, “Of course, being a grandchild, one of the perks was I got them for free.”
So, what made Cyndy leave her mortgage loan profession and find herself at Gay Fish Company? “Many of my relatives have had ownership in Gays, but that has dwindled over the years.” In late summer 2022, there was a medical scare with her father, Charles, now 77 years of age.
“My father is strong as an ox, but even the nurses asked why he worked six days a week at such a physical job?” When he said, “Who else would do it?” Cyndy had a life-changing moment. She knew there had to be a change, so a family meeting ensued. She decided she would take a leap of faith and follow her heart.
“I never questioned the decision; the only way I can explain it is once we, as a family, made the decision, I felt an immediate calmness, and the phrase ‘It is well with my soul’ resonates with me daily.”
“I continue to receive affirmations in small ways, such as finding a hat at Walmart embroidered with ‘It is well with my soul’ the same week I quit my job. I mean, no other sign needed!”
It has been five months working with her father, and although an adjustment, she loves it. “He is essential to the business, and we could not do it for one minute without him leading the way.” She is growing their social media business with engaging content, including the history of the company and pictures of items currently being sold in the retail market.
She notes that in the beginning, Gay Fish Company owned all the boats shrimped from these docks. Today, the boats are independently owned, “so when the public buys from us, they are supporting this family and the shrimpers that have been with us for generations. Possibly revitalizing a younger generation of shrimpers is important to us, too,” says Cyndy.
Short-term goals for Gay Fish Company include painting, with long-term goals of upgrading the equipment. There is a rumor of a gift shop being added to feature branded items, such as t-shirts, hats, and pottery made by local artisans, such as Terry Watson, also of St Helena Island. “We are taking baby steps with our upgrades, but they are all exciting to me, no matter how small,” she says eagerly.
Cyndy quickly adds how grateful she is for the support of her parents, Charles and Faye Gay. She notes, thankfully, “My brother Tim Gay leads by example in making bold career moves, and my husband and kids have always trusted me.” The Gays stick together both in their close family and business.
Cyndy is enjoying her new position and loves working with her father. He is there daily, and at 10 a.m. sharp, he proudly raises the American flag surrounded by shrimp boats, rustic buildings, and remnants of the boat from the movie The Prince of Tides.
Now there is a new woman at the helm, and Cyndy has great respect and resolves to see this legacy continue. Cyndy shares a childhood memory that shows just some of her determination.
At the age of five, she entered the Wee Miss Beaufort Contest. After her mother spent hours curling her hair and ensuring she was dressed perfectly, they went out to show her father the results of her pageant transformation on the family-owned land, Little Horse Island. As soon as her mother’s back was turned, Cyndy made a run for the pond and jumped in feet first. “That is what you do for fun when you grow up on an island.” When asked if she won, Cyndy says with a sparkle, “No, but I won, Miss Congeniality.”
The future looks very bright for this one hundred percent veteran and family-owned business. We all can rest assured that this traditional and generational St. Helena business will survive and endure.
Observing the commitment of father Charles, Uncle Robert, and brother Tim, with, of course, the talented and visionary Cyndy, we can feel secure it will continue for all of us to enjoy. This year will be its 75th Anniversary, and Cyndy says, “Get ready for a celebration!” The company remains in good hands with the Gay Family.
