Gayla Jo Amend

Gayla Jo Amend 55, was a talented Special Education teacher. She passed away Wednesday, May 29th, 2019 at 4:50 am, surrounded by the love and support of her family. Gayla, well known for her humor, used her own brand of wit and wisdom to speak the truth in ways that were equally humorous and disarming. Her quips could cut through the noise while planting a needed message of love and healing. To her students, she was more than a teacher, she was a healer of broken learning and had a way of making each young person feel special and able to believe in their own abilities. These were her gifts, and she shared them generously wherever she went, especially with her students, nieces, and nephews. Gayla’s lasting legacy will continue to grow and expand well into the future as the children and students that she influenced throughout her long career continue to thrive and prosper in the world today. Gayla was also a passionate dog lover and a strong advocate for animal adoption and rescue. A memorial service will be held at Hyde Elementary School on Saturday, June 1st at 11:00am. All those that knew and loved Gayla, and especially her students and their families are invited to attend. Gayla was with USD 259 school district for the past 25 years and considered all of her students as her adoptive children. She was preceded in death by her father, Gene Clapp. She is survived by husband, Daniel “Ty” Amend of Wichita; sons, Adam Amend of Ft. Worth, TX, Brandon Amend of Wichita; mother, Virginia Clapp of Hays; sisters, Lanette (Kevin) Shaffer of Ft. Morgan, CO, Jenny (Toby) Prine of Hays; nieces, Lexi (Nathan) Rogers, Emily Prine; nephews, Tyler Shaffer and Andrew Prine, along with numerous other nieces, nephews, relatives, and friends; her dogs, Scooby and Tater.