Gayla Kimball, 79, of Hereford, Texas passed away on Sunday, May 4, 2025, in Hereford. A Celebration of Life Service will be on Saturday, May 10, 2025, at 11:00 A.M. at Mendez and Mullins Family Funeral Home Chapel in Hereford with Pastor Nathan Adams officiating.  Family and Friend visitation will be on Friday, May 9, 2025, from 5:00 – 7:00 P.M. at the funeral home. Arrangements and cremation services have been entrusted to Mendez and Mullins Family Funeral Home of Hereford.

Gayla was born on January 10, 1946, in Sayre, Oklahoma, to J D and Cleo (Anderson) Winburn. She graduated from Berlin High School in 1964. Gayla attended Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford, Oklahoma where she received her Bachelor of Education. She moved to Hereford in 1969 to work for the Hereford Independent School District, as an elementary teacher, then as the art teacher for Hereford High School, retiring in 2006. She also worked with the after-school dyslexic program and as a driver-ed instructor. Gayla met the love of her life and best friend Lee Kimball in Hereford; they were married in 1972 at the First Methodist Church.

Gayla enjoyed gardening, planting flowers, fishing, camping, going to Ute Lake with Lee and her family, baking, and eating sweets.  She loved to have fun and play around, finding joy in jumping out to scare others, especially Lee. Gayla was a fun-loving mom and Meme; was tough and sarcastic but understanding and easy to talk to. She loved spending time with her family and grandchildren. In these last few years, Gayla liked doing crossword puzzles and making TikTok's with her granddaughter.

Those left to cherish her memories are her two daughters, Chris Tapia and Kesha Warner and husband Francis, both of Hereford, Texas; six grandchildren, Miranda Tapia, Jacob Tapia, Darren Tapia, Brye Tapia, Landen Warner, and Kaylee Warner; two great-grandchildren, Adeline Warner and Deliah Iverson; and sister Deanna Strianese of Okemah, Oklahoma.

She is preceded in death by her parents, J D and Cleo Winburn, husband Lee Kimball, Jr., and two brothers Terry Winburn and Jimmy Winburn.