PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla.
 The community came together to honor the life and legacy of Gayle Farmer Oberst during a heartfelt celebration of life at Harpoon Harry’s on Wednesday.

During her celebration of life ceremony, her friends and family took the time to share stories about who she was behind the scenes.

Many telling stories about her sense of humor, volunteer work, passion for the outdoors, and her dying love for Panama City Beach.

But you would never know what she accomplished if you waited for her to tell you. A close family member of Gayles said she never spoke about her work. So, he didn’t know many of her accomplishments until he decided to do some research on his own.

“I actually googled my aunt, and I actually ended up finding news articles about her and reading about the things she had done because she wouldn’t speak on it,” said Jonathan Farmer, one of two nephews the former PCB Mayor leaves behind. “She didn’t care to speak on it because to her she was just doing her job. But she really loved Panama City Beach.” he continued. Gayle Oberst made history as Panama City Beach’s first and only female mayor — and helped shape much of the city’s growth during her time in office. She was first elected to the PCB city council in 2000 and served for six years before being appointed mayor in 2006. After a decade in the role, she chose to step down in 2016. But her impact lives on — most visibly through “Gayle’s trails,” a project she envisioned during her time in office. She also assisted in the development of Pier Park, the new senior center, Frank Brown Park, Aaron Bessant Ampitheater, and Conservation Park.