Betty Lou Gray

Betty was born on August 15, 1928, to Clyde and Clara Corn and was raised in the Bootheel of Southeast Missouri, one of nine children. She cherished many happy memories of farm life, where she and her brothers and sisters worked hard picking cotton and spent their days playing, working, and growing up together. She graduated from Clarkton High School.

As a young adult, Betty moved to Dallas, Texas, where she worked as a bookkeeper for a loan company. It was in Dallas she met the love of her life, Bob Gray. They were married in May of 1955 and built a life centered on love, family, and devotion. Together, they raised two children and eventually returned to Missouri, living in several communities before settling in Columbia, where Betty made her home for the past 45 years.

Betty dedicated many years of service as a Patient Representative at Columbia Regional Hospital before retiring. She was known for her gentle, caring nature and her ability to make others feel comforted and heard.

Above all, Betty devoted her life to her family. She was blessed with many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, each of whom brought her immense joy. She had a soft, tender spirit—quiet in nature but with a quick, sharp wit that often left her family in laughter. She was deeply loved and will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

Betty is survived by her loving husband, Bob; her son, John Gray and his wife Kristie; and her daughter, Lisa Reed and her husband Charles. She is also survived by her grandchildren: Jamie Bell and husband Chris, Betsy Quandt and husband Josh, Amber Gray, Rebecca Reed, Hannah Sears and husband Luke, Lydia Schweikert and husband Kurtis, Joel Reed, Joshua Reed and wife Amy, Gabe Reed, Rachel Kail and husband Timothy, and many beloved great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by many loved ones and by her granddaughter, Sarah Gray, who now rests with her in Heaven.

A Visitation Service will be held March 31, 2026, at 11 am with the Funeral Service following at 12 pm at Community United Methodist Church on Broadway Avenue in Columbia, Missouri. Graveside Service will follow at Grandview Baptist Church on Route Z in Centralia, Missouri.

Condolences and fond memories may be shared at www.memorialfuneralhomeandcemetery.com