Jessie Lee Gray

JESSIE LEE GRAY, a resident of Moreno Valley, California for more than 65 years after she and her then husband, with family, were transferred from Elmendorf AFB, Alaska to March Air Force Base in Riverside, California in 1960, quietly passed away on Friday, September 5th 2024 at the Age of 100, at home and surrounded by Family.

Jessie was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, the daughter of an African American Baptist Minister and a Native American Mother. She was the youngest of thirteen (13) children. As the caring person she always was, after attending the funeral of the caregiver of her two oldest brothers and her Mother in Louisiana, Jessie convinced her husband to agree to relocate her Mother and two oldest brothers to California and she loved and cared for them until the end of each of their lives.

Jessie was the Mother of Two Sons (Jack Gray and Charles Gray-both now deceased) and Three Daughters (Vera Briggs, Katherine Singh, Linda Gray-Dutton), and had 16- Grandchildren, 10- Great Grandchildren and 9-Great-Great Grandchildren of which many she raised as her own. Like others in the family, many of them also joined branches of the military and retired. (i.e. Air Force, Army, Marines and Navy).

In her early retirement years, she was able to visit her children and grandchildren at their many stations around the Globe, including Germany, England, France and other European countries, as well as other States in the U.S. and was able to see more of the world after her years of working as a Full Time Housekeeper for a Riverside Husband/Wife Physician Team, which also had children for which she was considered family and later worked for the oldest son until her retirement…. however later in life at the behest of a Riverside Social Workers who knew her from her raising some of her grandchildren, continued as a Foster Parent to unrelated children for many years. The children still come by and visit her as they were part of our family and they always knew like the rest of her children and grandchildren, they were always welcome.

Even after we all left home as adults, she was always there for us with sage advice and a place to regroup and help us acclimate to the many transitions in life.

With Jessie around, until the day she died, no one, including her friends or children of long deceased friends, never went hungry or were homeless and when life began falling apart, she was always there to catch us. “Us”, included our Foster Brothers and Sisters who would often stop by to say Hello, share their new babies, raid the pantry for groceries, have a home cooked meal prepared by her or out of gratitude, bring her a meal to share with them and most times just to talk about old times and how their lives were progressing, thanks to her guidance over the years that they were under her care.

She was an encourager, a great listener and a “light in the darkness” with more Love and Compassion for All of Us that were blessed to have known her and to be a part of her Life.

God has a New Angel in Heaven, and we will all miss her now that He has called her HOME to rest from the many hats she wore and names she was called as a caregiver to us all. (i.e. Jessie, Jessie Lee, Jelee, Mom, Mommy, Grandma, Granny, Mama Gray, Miss Gray and other terms of affection…), and there is no replacing her, here on earth, however as she taught us, we will ALL be comforted with the Promise of John 3:16, “ For God so Loved the World, that He gave His ONLY begotten Son ,so that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life”.

We know that if we live a good life with God as our Master, like she did, this is NOT GOOD-BYE and WE will all see her again in HEAVEN, hoping to hear, “My Child, Well Done”, because we had the BEST Role Model in our relationships with her wearing many hats as: Mom (to her biologic children & grandchildren and more than 14 Foster Children-Mama Gray/Miss Gray), Grandmother (Great, Great-Great and Great-Great-Great), Sister, Aunt and Teacher, that God put in our lives here on Earth, to teach us through acts of kindness, God’s Love and forgiveness for us through the Loving and Respecting of our Brothers and Sisters as learned in Sunday School (where she made us attend in Suits & Frocks), and Generosity and Caring for every one of those less fortunate than us and Mutual Respect for others regardless of their Race, Color, Ethnicity, Wealth, Power over impactful decisions, Past Mistakes, etc.

She changed many lives by Loving us enough to care what happened to us when she was our surrogate Mother and still when things were going a little rough everyone knew that Ms. Gray would always be there in the house we grew up in, to listen, provide support and guide us with all her 100 years of knowledge which “by the way” we contributed to as “her” children 😊 We have ALL been blessed by Her and “Thank God” for this gift of one hundred Years on this earth where she helped so many! Love, Your Family, as scribed by Linda

A visitation for Jessie will be held Thursday, October 10, 2024 from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Acheson & Graham Garden of Prayer Mortuary, 7944 Magnolia Ave, Riverside, CA 92504. A funeral service will occur Friday, October 11, 2024 from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM, 7944 Magnolia Ave, Riverside, CA 92504. A committal service will occur Friday, October 11, 2024 from 1:00 PM to 1:30 PM at Olivewood Memorial Park, 3300 Central Ave, Riverside, CA 92506.