Hazel R Gregory

Greogory, Mrs.Hazel Robinson was born in Montgomery County, Alabama on July 8, 1920. She was the second child of Nelson and Sadie Robinson. Her parents and brother, Morgan Robinson, preceded her in death. She attended Loveless School and the Calhoun School, a private boarding and day school in Calhoun, Alabama. Hazel rode the train to and from the Calhoun School each day for several years. She completed her high school education at Alabama State Laboratory High where she received her diploma.

Hazel accepted Christ at an early age. She joined the First CME Church of Montgomery and was a faithful member for more than 50 years.

She was married to Frank Gregory, Sr. in 1940 and to that union five children were born; Frank, Jr., Carolyn, Janice, Alfred (deceased), and Daryl.

When Daryl was an infant, she began working for the Montgomery Improvement Association, the founding organization of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. There she made daily contributions to the fight for civil rights and equality for all people. In addition to running the office, providing clerical assistance and always acting as a friend and counselor to the young people of the movement, she worked tirelessly for the “cause”. Always aware of the danger that the job presented, Hazel survived harassment, death threats and years of having the family phone tapped by local law enforcement agents.

When the Freedom Riders arrived in Montgomery and were beaten before they could leave the Greyhound bus station, it was Hazel Gregory who called the local undertakers to meet her at the scene with their hearses to transport the badly injured to St. Jude Hospital. When the police officers saw that it was Mrs. Gregory and that she would not be deterred, they stepped aside and allowed her through to provide aid to the injured.

Hazel was employed by the Montgomery Board of Education for 12 years. She was an assistant to the Director of the Department of Finance. She retired in 1988 to care for her mother who passed in July 1991.

Hazel Gregory’s life was full of challenges that she met head on. Always ready to stand up for freedom, respect and justice, she taught her children and those around her to demand their rights and not back down.

On Monday, March 28, 2011, Hazel Robinson Gregory went to her eternal rest. She leaves to treasure her memory a dedicated a loving husband, Frank Gregory. Sr.; two sons, Frank, Jr. (Maria), Daryl (Ervice); two daughters, Carolyn Watts (Frederick), Janice Frazier; a sister, Vivian Brown; nine grandchildren, Angela Frazier, Fawn Jones (Kevin), Traci Watts, Andrea Frazier Durhal, Lori Burden (Preston), Kristi Grimes (Gerard), Marci Scott (Ricky), Daryl Gregory II, Brooklynn Gregory; eight great grandchildren, and a host of nieces, nephews, and cousins. Funeral services will be held at Leak Memory Chapel on Saturday, April 2, 2011 at 12 noon. Burial will follow in Greenwood Cemetery. Leak Memory Chapel Directing