Donald S. Gray Sr.

Born September 22, 1928, in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah, second child of Donald Gray and Janet Clark Preston Hunter Gray, “Jenny.”

He had two brothers and two sisters, John Hunter Gray, deceased, Mary Preston Gray Westover, Dr. George Houston Gray, and Janet Clark Gray Kearns.

Donald attended Hamilton School and East High School, in Salt Lake City, Utah, before moving, with his family to Hawthorne, California.

In Hawthorne, California, Donald graduated, from Leuzinger High School, in June, 1947.

He completed one year at El Camino College, in Gardena, California, where he enjoyed acting in two stage productions.

Donald was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, on September 19, 1936, in the LDS Tabernacle, in Salt Lake City, Utah. He came up through the Primary Program, and Mutual Improvement Society. He loved serving, in MIA, planning the dances and decorating the Cultural Hall, for events. He loved taking his daughter, Lisa, to Daddy-Daughter Parties, and helping his sons, work on their Scout Badges. He did not like sleeping on the ground, at camp-outs, so he slept, in the VW Bus.

He was ordained a Deacon, on October 20, 1940, at the age of 12, and advanced to Teacher, Priest, and was ordained an Elder, in The Church, on October 26, 1947. On September 28, 1958, he was ordained a Seventy, and served in the Presidency of the Seventy, in Redondo Stake, in Redondo, California. On August 16, 1961, he was ordained a High Priest, and to the office of Bishop, by Elder Henry D. Taylor, Assistant to the Twelve Apostles, serving in the Hawthorne Ward, Redondo Stake, for three and one-half years, until his family bought a home, in Rowland Heights, California.

Donald joined the Ward Choir, at the urging of Elder Mark E. Peterson, who was in his Ward. He told him to sit by him, and he would help learn the tenor part.

From April, 11, 1949 to 1951, he served as a missionary for The Church, in the British Mission, which included England, Wales, and Scotland, at that time. His brother, John, was serving, in England, and his Dad, Donald, served a mission, in Scotland shortly after his sons. Elder M. Russell Ballard, of the Council of the Twelve, was a Counselor, in the Mission Presidency, and served as Donald's companion, until a new companion arrived, in Scotland.

Donald worked for Ritz Bowling Alley. His parents opened their own bakery, in Los Angeles, where the family also helped out. He was hired, by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Los Angeles Branch, in Los Angeles, California, in 1949. The interviewer asked him, where he was from, and when he answered, Utah, she asked, if he was a Mormon. When he said, yes, she said, “You're hired, honey! He took an early retirement, in 1986, after 35 years, so he could work, for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as a custodian, to be closer to home. He retired, from that job, at the age of 75, after 16 years.

Don loved doing things, with his family, and for his family. He loved cooking, baking and decorating cakes, including specialty cakes, and wedding cakes. He loved singing, and acting, and was in several stage productions, at church, and community theater. He was in “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” “Happy Journey,” “Oklahoma,” “The Wizard of Oz,” and “The Fantasticks.” He played in two different productions, of “The Mikado,” playing “Nanki-poo,” the love interest, in his 20's, and, later, the part of “Ko-Ko,” “The Lord High Executioner.” He played the roll of Lazar Wolf, the butcher, in “Fiddler on the Roof,” and received Best Actor Award.

Don ran his own business, Don's Cleaning Service, for several years, while working, for the church, while his wife, Shirley ran her own typing service, Quality Policies.

After joining the United States Air Force, in 1951, he was stationed in Savannah, Georgia, where he met Shirley Arlene Robertson Gray, at church. They were married May 13, 1954, in the Arizona Temple, in Mesa, Maricopa County, Arizona. They were married, for 57 years, on May 13, 2011.

Don was sent to Seoul, Korea, and Osaka, Japan, for 15 months, in July, 1954, two months, after their marriage, returning home to Hawthorne, California, in November, 1955. Don and Shirley lived in Hawthorne, Inglewood, back to Hawthorne, then Rowland Heights, and, in Victorville, California, for the past ten years.

Donald Sinclair Gray died peacefully, on July 5, 2011, in Colton, San Bernardino County, California. His wife, Shirley, their granddaughter, Rachel Arianne Gray, and daughter, Lisa Priscilla Gray-Gonzalez, were at his bedside. He was 82 years and nine months old. He is survived by his wife, Shirley Arlene Robertson Gray, four children, Donald Sinclair Gray, Jr., Stuart Richard Gray, Lisa Priscilla Gray-Gonzalez, and Glenn Alexander Gray, eleven grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, one brother, George, two sisters, Mary and Janet, three sisters-in-law, two brothers-in-law, and many other relatives and friends.

Arrangements under the direction of Montecito Memorial Park & Mortuary, Colton, California.