Miss Arnoldi, a coloratura soprano, performed in about 30 productions of 15 different operas, primarily at the Kiel Opera House, said her husband, Jonathan Browne. Her roles included Violetta in Verdi's "La Traviata," Marguerite in Gounod's "Faust," and the title role in Giordano's "Fedora."

Miss Arnoldi also gave private voice lessons, and for 27 years worked as an elementary school music teacher in the Pattonville School District. Miss Arnoldi was born in Leadwood, Mo., 65 miles south of St. Louis, and came to St. Louis at age 17 to attend Washington University, study voice, and work for the telephone company, Browne said. The two fell in love on a return car trip to St. Louis from Leadwood, which was near Browne's hometown of Bismarck. Browne's military service interrupted the romance, and the two lost touch. Browne later married and had a family; after his wife died, he said, "I went looking for Gay, and it was like she'd just been around the corner all those years. We were still the same people." They married in 1996. A memorial service for Miss Arnoldi will be at 2 p.m. Friday in the chapel at Meramec Bluffs, 1 Meramec Bluffs Drive, Ballwin. In addition to her husband, among the survivors are a daughter, Amy Arnoldi of Bismarck, N.D.; a sister, Susan Hunt, of Cape Girardeau, Mo.; two grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren."
- Sarah Bryan Miller - St. Louis Post Dispatch, Metro. February 27, 2008

Editor's note: Jon Browne reports that the 30 productions of 15 different operas, may be a numerical error, but it is believed this information came from a search Ms. Miller made of the St. Louis Post Dispatch archives.

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Windswept Music Workshop Faculty Recital - 2008 allowed her friends in Creative Motion to remember and honor her life, work and contributions.

The following graced the back of the recital program:
   Gay grew up in the part of Missouri known as “the leadbelt.” And her husband Jon recounts that they were acquaintences through their mutual involvement in local music. They grew up in the same part of the country, their towns 9 miles apart. Gay played clarinet with a local band, and Jon recalls watching“the little blonde with the licorice stick.”  After Jon’s navy service prior to and during WWII, he lived in St. Louis and when Gay moved to St. Louis and began to study voice and sing in earnest, she and Jon found themselves in the same voice studio.  As they shared a car ride returning “down home” for a weekend visit, they fell in love.  Some time after Jon re-enlisted in the Air Force, Gay and Jon drifted apart.  Gay continued her performance career in St. Louis opera. Later, Gay returned to school and became a teacher. After a time, Gay realized she wanted to be a mother. After a trial period together, Gay adopted ten-year-old Amy – in the first single-parent adoption in the state of Missouri where she enjoyed both the woes and joys of family and parenting. She balanced her love of family with her jobs as a teacher and soloist at University City Methodist Church.  Gay had such a positive impact with her beautiful voice. A fellow chorister exclaimed “I learned how to sing, just standing next to her in choir!” She also perfomed within “Broadway Fantasies” and enjoyed other local performance opportunities.
   After she retired from public school teaching, she settled to a quiet life, when a new chapter was opened up for her.  One day, Jon Browne stepped back in.  Romance blossomed and the two were married.  For several years, they traveled quite a bit, and then moved to Meramec Bluffs retirement community in Ballwin, MO, meeting many new friends. Their life together was happy and blessed.  In a recent phone interview, Jon said, “She fleshed me out and made me the person I am today!  She made a change in me; she believed in me and she is still with me today!”
   Gay was a charter member of the Creative Motion Alliance, and was active for many years as an instructor – working most particularly with voice students in master class.  For many years, Gay was the music specialist at Willow Brook Elementary School in the Pattonville School District. When she retired in 1990, I was fortunate to be hired for the position.  The following summer, she contacted me and said – “Why don’t you come to Windswept?”  A whole new world opened for me as a result of that casual “Why not?” and I have been so grateful ever since. I remember Gay fondly, not only as the person who introduced me to Creative Motion, but also for her kindness, her passion, her voice and her spirit. At that first workshop for me in 1991, Gay encouraged me to sing something with her. We checked the campus music library and found Vivaldi’s “Gloria” and we performed the duet “Laudamus Te.”  It is in her honor and in her memory that Mary Hannah and I share this piece on tonight’s recital.

–Phyllis Pasley, July, 2008.