Gayle J. Negri

Gayle Jacobs Negri (nee Hartnett) passed away in the early morning hours of Thursday, Aug 13, 2026, at Adventist White Oak hospital, of complications from pancreatic cancer, just 11 days before her 79th birthday.

She was born on August 24, 1947, in the District of Columbia to Daniel Hartnett and Francis Wise Hartnett (both deceased).

She is survived by her husband of 44 years Andrew J. Negri and a younger brother Daniel Hartnett, Jr and her cherished Beagle Marley.

A viewing of her inurned ashes will be held at the Donaldson Funeral Home, P.A. in Laurel, Md on August 28, 2026, from 2-4 and 6-8 pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that gifts in memory of Gayle Negri be directed to support pancreatic cancer research at the Kimmel Cancer Center. Checks can be made payable to Johns Hopkins Medicine indicating the gift’s designation and mailed to: Johns Hopkins Medicine, Att’n: Kimmel Cancer Center Development Office, 750 East Pratt Street, Suite 1700, Baltimore MD 21202; or alternatively, donations may be made in her name to Beagle Rescue of Southern Maryland.

After graduating Springbrook, MD high school she went to work as a travel agent in 1965 at the newly created Goddard Space Flight Center, earning the nickname “Travel Gayle” from the way she answered the phone. She later moved on to do travel for the U.S. Navy and later in private industry as a corporate agent (air, hotel, car, repeat). Professionally she was a pleasant combination of a workaholic and a perfectionist, especially during the deregulation of the airline industry.

Gayle was a beautiful person in so many ways and dearly loved by all whose lives she touched. She was active in community theater for many years, both onstage as Mama Rose in Gypsy, Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes, Mame in Mame (her favorite role) and Kate in Kiss Me Kate, where her future husband took the title too literally. She then turned her prodigious talents to directing at local groups such as Bowie Community Theater, Prince Georges Little Theater, the Greenbelts Arts Center, the Chevy Chase Players, and the Music and Drama Club at Goddard. It was at Goddard that her crowning achievement was the successful direction of Singin’ in the Rain, her favorite show. At Chevy Chase, NPR’s Susan Stamberg popped in and made Gayle’s direction of Starting Here, Startin Now a feature of her Sunday radio show, even inviting the lyricist Richard Maltby Jr to opening-night. As an audience member she was known for her distinctive and freely-given laughter.

Her passion was quilting, never failing to make a baby quilt for even the slightest relation. She sewed hundreds of face masks during the pandemic as donations and was well-known to fabricate and sell quillows (a quilt that folds into a pillow) at area craft fairs. She was a dedicated hockey wife and goalie coach of her husband Andy. Both traveled extensively, making lifelong friends in both Italy and Germany.

It can be said that she left traces of love in the hearts of everyone she touched. The light she gave to everyone will shine on through how we remember her. A better human being would be hard to find.

A celebration of Gayle's life will be held at Dive Bar & Grille 8600 Foundry St, Savage, MD on Saturday, September 26 from 6-9 pm

Food, libation and fond memories will be served. Pls RSVP to anegri@umd.edu by September 20.