BENTONVILLE — Doug Gay, a Benton County Sheriff ’s Office employee for 17 years, died Sunday. He was 59.
Gay died after a long battle with cancer, according to Keshia Guyll, public information officer for the Sheriff’s Oftce. Gay died with his wife, Lesia, as well as other family members and friends by his side, Guyll said.
Gay served numerous roles with the Sheriff’s Office. He was public information officer, he was on the search and rescue team and he was part of the oft ce’s motorcycle unit, Guyll said.
Lesia Gay posted on her Facebook page on May 3 that her husband was battling stage 4 renal cell carcinoma. The couple got married April 7, according to her Facebook page.
Sheriff Kelley Cradduck said Monday he was still numb from news of Gay’s death. He had known Gay for about 15 years. Both had served as public information oft cers at one time — Gay with the Sheriff ’s Oft ce and Cradduck with the Rogers Police Department.
Gay was skilled not only at the law enforcement part of his job, but also the community outreach part of it, Cradduck said.
“He was very engaging,” Cradduck said. “He understood there was a lot more to police work than just writing tickets. We’re going to miss him.”
Cradduck said Gay found out in December that he was sick.
“I was talking to him in January, and he said he was excited about patrolling again,” said Cradduck, who became sheriff in January. “I asked him to revamp our motorcycle unit. We were talking about future goals and plans.”
Gay did not have any biological children, Cradduck said.
Funeral arrangements have not been announced.