Glenn Gray

Glenn Gerald Gray was a family man, a student of life, an educator, and a loyal citizen. In his own small way, he made his world a better place, and he left behind two generations who benefited from his guidance.

Glenn was born November 22, 1935 in Sudbury, Ontario; the first child of Velma Gray (nee Chapman) and Gerald Gray. His ancestors, mainly of English and Scottish descent, had come to Canada generations earlier to make their fortunes. Glenn’s brother Gary was born six years later, and the family home on Spruce Street was typical of the working class “west end” of Sudbury during the war years of the 1940s.

In that era, there were no school buses, gyms, or much electronic gadgetry. Glenn, Gary and their friends played outside, with lots of running, tag, baseball and soccer. Sudbury’s long winters were “wonderful” (Glenn’s words), with street hockey under the light near the house, and tobogganing on the “mountain” across the street. In the summers the family visited grandparents in the Fordwich-Listowel area, allowing Glenn’s Dad to help with the harvest, and allowing Glenn and Gary to experience horseback riding, buggy rides and a farm without a phone or hydro. On later vacations, Glenn and Gary helped their Dad build a bare-bones family cottage on Lake Wanapitei. This was one of his favourite spots, and began his lifelong appreciation for the landscape and environment of the Canadian Shield (and to leap ahead, Glenn also honeymooned at the cottage, years later).

Back in 1942 or ’43, Glenn joined the 5th Sudbury pack of the Wolf Cubs of Canada. He was very proud of his appointment as Senior Sixer of the pack, which allowed him to help the “little boys” learn to tie knots, light fires and send Morse code and semaphore signals. Although he could not appreciate its significance at the time, the war infiltrated everyday life as students took their quarters to school to buy savings stamps, and as funerals occurred. Glenn’s Dad listened to the war news on an old Marconi radio every evening at six, and marked the day’s progress or retreats on a large wall map of Europe.

Glenn thrived at school, in the carefree days of youth, and fondly remembered story contests, making cards and gifts for Mother’s Day, and preparing for Parents’ Night. Glenn skipped grade six, landing him in grade seven with Ruth Raynard, who he described as the greatest elementary school teacher he ever knew. Sudbury High School brought new challenges, students from other areas, a split class (boys 8:00am – 1:00pm, and girls 12:00 pm – 5:00pm), and grade 9 teacher George Thompson, the best teacher Glenn ever knew.

By Grade 13 Glenn decided to become an accountant, like his father, and for two years articled at Arthur A. Crawley & Company. While there, as in high school, he continued volunteering at the YMCA. He swam, played basketball, and in the summer, worked at “Y-Land”, a day camp on Ramsey Lake in Sudbury. He also worked to help build the Y’s John Island Camp in the North Channel of Lake Huron, beginning a family tradition.

In his formative years, some of his best friends were Bob Craig, as well as Cec Woods, Bob Nesbitt and Ted Donegan from the YMCA.

Volunteering increased Glenn’s interest in the Y, and in 1955 he went to Sir George Williams College in Montreal (now part of Concordia University), on a Fellowship scholarship from the YMCA. Life in Montreal was suddenly brighter, noisier, faster and bilingual: quite a change for a small-town Ontario boy. For three years, Glenn lived in a 600 room YMCA hotel residence. While acquiring his broad liberal arts education at Sir George, Glenn continued his Y-Fellowship work, particularly helping young Jewish and then Chinese boys learn basketball and other ‘Canadian’ skills. In this formative period he also developed his love of British and Canadian history, his appreciation for good grammar, his amusement with the stories of Sherlock Holmes, and his lifelong hobbies of chess and cribbage. He also learned from Professor Dr. Henry F. Hall, the third of the greatest teachers he ever met.

Moving to Quebec also allowed Glenn to meet the love of his life, and on June 10, 1961 he exchanged wedding vows with Kathrina Arnold at the St. Margaret's Anglican Church of Croydon, Quebec. Glenn and Kathy were actively involved with the extended families of both the Arnolds and Grays, and Glenn got along very well with all of Kathy’s siblings. Glenn and Kathy were married until his passing 56 years later.

Glenn and Kathy were blessed with three wonderful children. Brian was born in 1962, followed by Joanne in 1964, who, sadly did not survive infancy. Finally, Sharon was born in 1965, completing the family. Glenn would later be delighted to become “Grandad” to four grandchildren; Russel, Alison, Michael and Carolyn.

Glenn and Kathy purchased their first house at 109 Chester Avenue in Pointe Claire, Quebec, where Glenn was an active family man and neighbour. He built doll houses and painting easels for his kids, visited zoos and parks, attended Montreal Expos baseball games, and enjoyed patio cocktails with Sam and Cis Burton next door. He attended Brian’s minor hockey games (where the Dads first shoveled the rink), and Sharon’s gymnastic classes. He built perfect A-frame dog houses, and dug irrigation ditches in the most prolific tomato garden in the neighbourhood. When snow permitted, he built backyard skating rinks and toboggan runs. Over the years the family acquired two dogs (Smokey and Checkers), a donated “male hamster” (who later gave birth to baby guinea pigs), and dozens of aquarium fish. He also passed on to Brian and Sharon his love of education, and his own hobbies expanded to include building model airplanes, and playing old-timers’ hockey.

Glenn also continued to explore the outdoor world with his family, and camping trips to Algonquin Park became an annual tradition. Evening movies at Pog Lake, misty morning paddles along the Madawaska River, naturalist hikes, roadside deer and bear, and autumn wolf howls all made a lasting impression on Glenn, and his family. Algonquin also spawned Glenn’s appreciation for Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven. Family trips to P.E.I., New Brunswick, Virginia Beach, Lake

George, Cape Cod, and the Bahamas added variety to the Algonquin mainstay.

Glenn was a manager and an educator. After graduation he began working full-time for the YMCA, first at the Lakeshore Branch in Pointe Claire, and then as Executive Secretary (= General Manager) of the International Branch, where he continued to learn about the Jewish, then Greek and Turkish immigrants in the area. Over the years he added the Northmount Branch to his responsibility, and then in 1970 became Executive Director of Stanley House, where he had resided as a student years before. Eventually, Glenn became Director of Personnel Services for the Association of Montreal Y’s, and its myriad staff. Glenn also began lecturing part-time in Group Dynamics, first at Sir George Williams, and later at Bishop’s University in Sherbrooke, Quebec.

In 1977 Glenn decided to take on the challenge of becoming CEO of the Sudbury YMCA. This gave him the opportunity to return to his childhood home. The family enjoyed Sudbury, took up cross country skiing, became friends with the Van Exans, and both Brian and Sharon attended John Island Camp. Unfortunately, a year after arriving in Sudbury, 11,600 workers at Inco Ltd. went on strike for nine months, crippling the city’s economy and drastically impacting the YMCA.

In 1979, the family moved to Oakville, Ontario, and Glenn began a seventeen year career with the Trust Companies’ Institute, first as Assistant Director, and then as Director. His roles at TCI (an educational organization for those in the trust industry) allowed him to use his managerial strengths, and also to further his life-long interest in education. While in southern Ontario, Glenn studied at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (O.I.S.E) at the University of Toronto, and completed his Masters of Education in 1992. Co-incidentally, he shared the same convocation ceremony as daughter Sharon’s graduating MBA class. At about the same time, Glenn abandoned his pipe, after decades of smoking. While in Oakville, Glenn also began volunteering as an adult literacy teacher, then volunteered in local elementary schools

to help children learn to read. Glenn’s interests expanded with snooker, and his continuing interest as a sports fan, especially of hockey, CFL football, and curling. He continued to enjoy cryptic crossword puzzles, to follow news and politics actively, and to make considered and educated voting decisions.

While living in Oakville, a new hobby appeared: being a Granddad. This is also when Glenn began working on a major model train landscape in the basement. He donned engineers’ caps with his first grandson Russel, as they drove the trains through hills and tunnels built with paste, water, and determination. Over the years, as more grandchildren followed, Glenn enjoyed time spent with the grandkids, reading and playing word games, teaching them how to play cribbage and chess, and was honoured to take Alison skating for her very first time. Michael remembers fondly playing Lincoln Logs with grandad, a skill he had honed years earlier with Russel. Carolyn fondly remembers “sleepovers” with Grandma and Grandad when she was too young to attend camp with her older siblings, and recalls the trip to the pumpkin farm one wet fall day. Glenn was also a willing (?) attendee at school concerts, elementary graduations, and school events when he could. He always showed an interest in the various hobbies and accomplishments of his grandkids, and always encouraged them however he could.

After retiring from TCI in 1997, and following a trip through the Trent-Severn Waterway, Glenn and Kathy moved briefly to Peterborough, Ontario. In Peterborough, Glenn continued his volunteer work in literacy with children, volunteering at a local elementary school.

With the freedom of retirement, Glenn and Kathy travelled to more distant locations, including Cape Breton Island, Jamaica, and Europe. Adventures with Kathy to Switzerland, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, England and Scotland all added variety to their years.

In 2004, after deciding they had sampled all of Peterborough’s attractions, Glenn and Kathy moved to Whitestone Drive in Oshawa,

Ontario, where they established the final ‘family’ home. Once again, a highlight of Glenn’s life was his thrice-weekly literacy sessions with young children at the elementary school across the street. He and Kathy also enjoyed nurturing the beautiful backyard oasis they built together. As Glenn’s physical health began to wane, and as his mild dementia became noticeable, Glenn moved to the retirement residence of Whitecliffe Terrace in nearby Courtice, Ontario. Kathy continued to visit him several times per week, and Glenn enjoyed the staff and his new friends at Whitecliffe.

Glenn Gray passed away on June 29, 2017 at Lakeridge Health in Oshawa, Ontario following a continuing struggle with an abdominal aortic aneurism. A reception for friends and family was held July 15th at the Oshawa Funeral Home.

Glenn’s life cannot be summed up in a paragraph, or a list of accomplishments. His achievements are understood and honoured by the family who follow him, and who learned and grew with his guidance. He will be deeply missed.

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GRAY, GLENN GERALD

It is with sadness we announce the passing of Glenn Gray, on June 29, 2017, at Lakeridge Health Oshawa. Glenn passed peacefully with family by his side, in his 82nd year. Left behind to mourn Glenn’s loss are his wife of 56 years, Kathrina Gray (nee Arnold), and children Brian Gray (Andrea) and Sharon Moore (Joe). Glenn will also be missed by his brother, Gary Gray, of Sudbury. Proud grandfather, Glenn will be missed by his grandchildren Russel Gray, and Alison, Michael, and Carolyn Moore. Born in Sudbury, Ontario, Glenn attended Sir George Williams College in Montreal, on a YMCA Fellowship. After many years with the Montreal, International, and Lakeshore YMCA’s, Glenn returned to Sudbury as Executive Director of the Sudbury YMCA. Glenn and family then moved to the Toronto area, where Glenn assumed roles of Assistant Director, then Director, of the Trust Companies’ Institute (TCI), and completed his Master of Adult Education at OISE. Following retirement, Glenn was an active volunteer in local elementary schools in Oakville, Peterborough, and Oshawa, sharing his love of reading with young students. Although Glenn enjoyed travel through Europe on several occasions, he was most “in his element” when paddling down a quiet river, or camping in Algonquin Provincial Park. The family would particularly like to thank the caring staff at White Cliffe Terrace. A reception for family and friends will take place on Saturday, July 15, 1-4pm, at OSHAWA FUNERAL HOME, 847 King St West, Oshawa (905-721-1234). If desired, in lieu of flowers, donations to the Lakeridge Health Foundation would honour Glenn’s memory.