Georgia Kay

Georgia Kay, 74, of Hamilton, Montana passed away August 15th, 2026 at The Valley Health and Rehab Center from complications due to lung cancer. She was born July 31st, 1952, in Logan, Utah. She is the daughter of George Richard Kay and Margery B. Mahoney (both deceased).

Georgia grew up in many different cities in the northwest, traveling with her family for her father’s work. She graduated from Olympus High School in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1971.

That same year she married Craig Hansen, but as the marriage certificate was never filed with the state, when it came time for a divorce, they found they had never officially been married.

She later attended the University of Utah, studying journalism.

She moved to Hamilton, Montana in 1985 where she met the love of her life, Tom Carl (TC) Thomson. They lived together as husband and wife until he passed away in 1998.

She worked as a nightshift dispatcher both for the Salt Lake City water department and as a 911 operator for the sheriff’s department in Hamilton, Montana. Her favorite job was as a journalist for The Ravalli Republic. She served as a staff reporter and arts and entertainment editor. After retirement, she volunteered with the Ravalli County Museum and Historical Society at the Daly Mansion in Hamilton.

Georgia will be missed for her wit and humor as well as her amazing gift-giving ability. She was an avid reader, writer, and recycler. Georgia earned the house she lived in for the past twenty years through writing an essay; she only had to pay for moving costs to move it to her land.

She is survived by four siblings: April Hochstrasser, Nataunya Kay, Kirshna Egor, and Gardner Lee Kay, as well as many nieces, nephews, grand-nieces, and grand-nephews.

A family gathering to celebrate Georgia will be scheduled at a future date.

The family would like to thank all her visitors and caretakers, both from the local community, as well as from Bitterroot Hospice and The Valley Health and Rehab.

In Lieu of flowers, please send donations to Ravalli County Museum and Historical Society or a favorite animal shelter.