Posted Feb 6, 2026
Gay Cook
Gay died on September 11, 2024, at the age of 93. She grew up in Ottawa, working in the catering division of her family’s food business. After graduation, she cooked, catered and ran commercial kitchens across Europe, the U.S. and South America. Gay became a beloved figure in Ottawa’s culinary community, writing a food column for the Ottawa Sun and a weekly “Taste of the Town” column for the Ottawa Citizen. In 2000, she published a cookbook, Mrs. Cook’s Kitchen, Basics and Beyond. Gay also freelanced for food magazines, consulted for cookware companies, made appearances on TV and radio shows and ran a cooking school.