Mary Adeline Grayson

Mary Adeline Grayson passed away peacefully in Mesa, AZ, on January 11, 2026, surrounded by family. She was 94. She is survived by her three children: Debra Jones (Vicki), Donna Gertz (Dennis) and James Grayson, Jr. (Jeannine); four grandchildren: Jody Sant, Ryan Sant, Michael Gertz (Maggie) and Albert Gertz; one great grandson, Wyatt Sant; and her surviving sibling, Patricia “Pat” Jackson. She was preceded in death by her devoted husband of 70 years, James Elmer Grayson, Sr.

She was born in Georgetown, TN, August 27, 1931, to Hoyt Thomas Murray and Essie Marie Hixson. She was the fourth of seven children. She joined siblings Hoyt Thomas Murray, Jr., Charles William (CW) Murray, and Edward Tennessee Murray. Fredrick Hixson Murray, Timothy James (TJ) Murray, and Patricia Ann Jackson were born after her.

Mary met her beloved husband, Jim, in 1951 and began dating later that year. In the spring of 1952, the couple took her parents to Signal Mountain, TN, where they announced their plans to be married and asked for her parents’ blessings. They were married at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Hixson, TN, on September 19, 1952. On their 40th anniversary, they renewed their wedding vows at a ceremony held in front of family and friends at their Tempe home.

Mary worked at the local Woolworth’s while she attended Hixson High School from where she graduated in 1949. She then completed 2 years (1949 – 1951) at Tennessee Polytechnic Institute located in Cookeville, TN, where she studied music. She returned to Hixson, donned her steel-toed boots, and started working at DuPont, helping in the production of parachutes and airplane tires. In June of 1963 the family moved from Daisy, TN, to Tempe, AZ. She often described this move as the best decision that she and her husband had made as a married couple. Mary started working at Motorola in Mesa, AZ, as an accountant and then moved to Bilt-Rite, a local home decorating store also located in Mesa, taking on the position of Office Manager. Mary’s faith had always been an important part of her life. She played the piano for many of the churches she attended and directed the church choirs until the age of eighty when Mary stepped away from those duties.

A public memorial will be held on February 21, 2026, starting at 10 AM at Citypoint Church, 1001 E. Southern Avenue, Tempe, AZ. Anyone wishing to share their fond memories, stories, or keepsakes is invited to do so.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, Hospice of the Valley, or a favorite charity in Mary Adeline’s honor.