After nearly a decade in the Ardsley area, Donessa “Dee” Gattis and her family have built a life centered around faith, family traditions, community involvement, and plenty of friendly football rivalry.

Originally from Huntsville, Alabama, Dee spent seven years living in New York City before eventually making her way to Savannah, where she met her husband, Clayton. Clayton, originally from Atlanta, graduated from Auburn University, where he was recruited to play football, but a shoulder injury sustained during practice changed the course of his athletic career. He remained at Auburn to complete his education, and the experience still fuels the family’s deep love of college football today.

Together, Dee and Clayton have built a lively home with their two children, Laurel, 10, and Monroe, 5.

The Gattis household also includes two beloved pets: Ollie, their energetic three-year-old golden retriever, and Marlee, a 14-year-old cat they brought home from their honeymoon in Barbados.

Life stays busy for the family, especially with everyone pursuing their own interests and activities. Dee enjoys working out with a close-knit group of friends several times a week and recently started learning Mahjong. Clayton is an avid basketball player who regularly joins a standing group of men for early morning games on Fridays and Saturdays.

Athletics and creativity clearly run in the family. Clayton and Dee’s daughter, Laurel has excelled on the Jenkins youth basketball team and is also a talented painter. While their son, Monroe is stepping into the sports world as well, playing baseball this year through Chatham County Little League.

Professionally, Dee has dedicated her career to caring for others. She has served as the school nurse at St. Andrew’s School on Wilmington Island for the past 10 years. This spring marks a major milestone as she graduates from Georgia Southern University after completing a rigorous three-year program to become a family nurse practitioner. Clayton works in outside industrial sales for Control Southern, an Atlanta-based company owned by Emerson Corporation, and recently received his second consecutive company award for outstanding performance.

Weekends for the Gattis family are often spent enjoying some of Savannah’s favorite local spots. They love relaxing at the pool at Hotel Bardo downtown, biking to Hull Park for the splash pad, and participating in the monthly kids’ building projects at Home Depot. Their church family at Wesley United Methodist Church also plays a central role in their lives.

One of their favorite traditions happens every Friday night: family movie night. The family rotates takeout favorites from Bull Street Taco, Green Truck, and Ardsley Station before settling in together with popcorn, ice cream, and a movie.

Travel is another important part of family life. After several years of staying close to home while Dee completed graduate school, the family is excited to celebrate this summer with a long-awaited trip to France. They also make it a priority to spend one week each summer on Tybee Island enjoying a relaxing beach getaway close to home.

At home, family game nights are serious business. Clue has become the current favorite, with Laurel and Monroe especially enjoying the challenge of figuring out “who dun it!”

The family also values spending time serving others together. Dee and Clayton are active in outreach efforts through their church and support organizations such as the Boys & Girls Club of Savannah, PACK, and the Humane Society of Savannah. Dee has also co-hosted tables for the CURE childhood cancer fundraiser for the past five years. Their children regularly volunteer alongside them, whether packing weekend food bags for children through PACK or reading to cats and kittens at the Humane Society to help socialize the animals.

And then there’s football season.

“We are certainly a house divided,” Dee laughs. As a proud University of Alabama graduate, she cheers for the Crimson Tide, while Clayton remains loyal to Auburn. Laurel has adopted LSU as her team of choice, much to her father’s dismay, while Monroe proudly supports the Georgia Bulldogs. Saturdays in the Gattis household come with plenty of spirited banter and good-natured smack talk.

When asked how they would welcome a new neighbor, Dee says she loves hearing people’s stories about how they ended up in Savannah. She and Clayton enjoy connecting families through church, community activities, and simple acts of kindness.

“Family and our close friends are really where we put our energy and focus,” Dee says. “We would hope to spread a bit of kindness and welcoming to anyone new that we meet.”