Gayle E. Thomas-Baxter

Gayle Baxter (née Thomas) was born on October 23, 1958 to George and Louise Thomas of Roxbury, Mass. She attended Boston Public grammar and middle schools and graduated from Boston Technical High in 1975. In 1978 She pursued a degree in Liberal Arts with a minor in Biology at Boston State College. Her strong desire to promote the physical and emotional healing of others led her to work in healthcare environments as a nursing assistant and mental health counselor, and ultimately to pursue a degree in Nursing at Laboure College.

Realizing that she wanted to specialize in Psychiatric Nursing, Gayle sought employment at Massachusetts Mental Health Center which (a Harvard-teaching hospital). In this setting that she was mentored by experienced mental health practitioners who provided a foundation for her to practice as a psychiatric nurse in both inpatient and outpatient settings (including community nursing).

Gayle was happily married to William A. Baxter from 1990 until his unfortunate de