Skip Skip Gray

When Skip Gray walked into the room, those in his company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Skip was and how he impacted those around him. Skip was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Skip wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Skip was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve him well throughout his life.

Skip was born on November 20, 1940 at Westley Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. He was the son of Anthony and Michaeline Gryszkiewicz. Skip was raised in Chicago, Illinois. Always at the ready with a good joke, he grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Skip might describe him as an idealist, his friends and family understood well that Skip was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to him.

Skip was raised with three siblings. He had one sister, Judy, and two brothers named Paul and Dick. Skip was very accepting and supportive of his family. He was perceived as the central person in his family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Skip was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Skip well in his adult life and, along with his wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew him.

As a young boy, Skip was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew him into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Skip was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with his peers. He was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. Skip took part in baseball and basketball. In his spare time he liked to cause general mischief. Skip had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity he and the many childhood friends he shared might discover.

During his high school years, Skip responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. He graduated from He attended three different schools Wells, Weber and Gordon Tech. In 1958. Skip was a very good student, and generally did well in his courses. Skip absorbed as much as he could from all of his teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, using his imagination to master his assignments. For Skip, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to his ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered Skip a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to him to discuss just about anything. The "School of the month club" was a family inside joke.

Skip did well in college, as a result of his comfort level with tackling new theories and his love of learning. He studied for two years at Wright Jr. College. His favorite course was public speaking. Skip was very adaptable, a quality that helped him make the transition from high school to college with little difficulty. As a result, Skip's problem solving skills and thirst for new knowledge almost guaranteed that he enjoyed virtually every class he took. Skip was always in quest of new things to learn and experience

With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought him an endless stream of friends, Skip was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Skip was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. He always seemed aware of what was going on with people around him and throughout his life he made many, many friends. Later in life, he became friends with Philip Fick, Chuck Raymond, and Al Jorgensen.

On April 25th, 1964 Skip married Carol Ann McDermott at Christ the King Parish of St. Louis, MO. Skip's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in his ability to make his new family happy. He was quite sensitive towards Carol's needs, showing his constant concern and fondness. Skip was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served him well in helping to nurture his family.

Skip was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide his family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Skip, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of his life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in the Gray home. Skip's skill at understanding his children's feelings, his sensitivity to their needs, and his gift for gentle persuasion enabled him to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up. Skip was blessed with two children: one son, Jeffrey and one daughter, Tracy.

Skip was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made him an exceptional worker. His primary occupation was sales and service for X-ray Security. He was employed for 25 years with Heimann System Security Co. Skip was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize him. Skip had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of his gift for insight. Skip's fellow workers saw him as a supporter and a mentor.

Skip was a Marine. He served in the Marines from 1961 to 1964. Skip served in the Marine Corp. Band during peace time. Through his hard work and dedication, he achieved the rank of Lance Corporal. His fellow soldiers could count on him for being able to make adjustments to any situation as needed.

Because Skip loved to have a broad variety of activities in his life, he took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. Skip was very much known as having a "sweet tooth". Skip had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of his favorite pastimes. However, Skip's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

Skip derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports. His charisma, supportive nature and ability to improvise when called upon to do so all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. In high school, Skip played basketball. Recreational sports included bowling and tennis. Skip was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were football and baseball. Skip was known to be a Cardinals baseball fan.

Throughout his life, Skip was actively involved in professional and community organizations. He was compassionate, accommodating and quick to move into action. Always able to build a consensus, Skip seemed to be the person smack dab in the middle of things, working to get things done. Those who had the opportunity to work with Skip usually agreed that when you were involved in an organization with him, it was as entertaining as anything you could imagine. In college, Skip set up a darkroom and loved photography.

Because Skip was constantly in the center of things and where the action was, he always seemed willing to join in and help, regularly getting involved in community activities. Skip's gift of planning and improvisation, along with a talent for rallying support, made him a great asset. Skip found new ways of getting things done in order to help make just about every activity more efficient and enjoyable. Politically, Skip was a strong supporter of the Republican party.

Skip was a man who was dedicated and devoted to his faith. During his youth, he was an alter boy. He was sympathetic and able to empathize with others and he used these qualities to the fullest while working tirelessly for his beliefs.

Skip's love of improvising in his daily life was a perfect fit for his enjoyment of traveling. His favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manor fit his personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, Skip took his vacations seriously, well, as seriously as he possibly could. Favorite vacations included China, Scotland, Eastern Europe and Singapore.

Skip was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. Aggie the cat, was a best friend for 13 years. His family was rounded out by his cat, Cally, whom was a loyal friend for 18 years. Also Daisy, a Springer Spaniel he befriended in his childhood.

When Skip's retirement finally came in He worked until he passed away., Skip handled it the way he usually did. He adapted and, like everything in his life, made it satisfying. Because he was such a flexible person and able to adjust to any situation, retirement was just another enjoyable change of pace for Skip to master. He found pleasure in traveling with his wife Carol to different places around the world. Even in retirement, Skip continued to stay in touch with his old friends and like always, made plenty of new ones.

Skip Gray passed away on January 27, 2011 at his home in Woodridge, Illinois. He passed away suddenly and pain free. He is survived by his loving wife Carol, son Jeffrey, daughter Tracy, many wonderful family members and dear friends. Services were held at Blake-Lamb Funeral Home in Lisle, Illinois. Skip was laid to rest in Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery.

There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Skip. He was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. He had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While he was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Skip Gray for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Skip was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with his loved ones.