John G Gray

John Gipson Gray, a great-grandfather and retired agricultural banker, died on Monday, July 7, 2025 in Hot Springs, AR. He was 89. John Gipson was born in 1935 in an apartment above the family general store in the tallest building on Main Street in Monette, Arkansas. His parents, Gladys Irene Gipson Gray and Bernard Osmond Gray, ran the store, and they later built and managed a hotel called Gray Tourist Cabins. Growing up in Monette, John knew every person in town. His grandparents, George Owen and Rhoda Esker Ragsdale Gipson and John Cleveland and Nola Barrett Gray were well known citizens in the Buffalo Island area. Both his grandfather, John C., and his father, Bernard, were elected mayor of Monette. As a boy, John had jobs in the family store and hotel. He was a soda jerk in both of Monette’s drug stores, and he also worked on the Gipson Family cotton farm. With wages earned from maintaining two newspaper routes, he bought his first car at age 15: a WWII surplus Willis Jeep. He painted that jeep a new color every week.

John was a Boy Scout and attended the 1950 Boy Scout Jamboree in Valley Forge, VA. President Harry Truman spoke to the 45,000 in attendance, strongly advocating for fellowship and human brotherhood. Scouting was a profound influence in John’s life, and his Boy Scout experiences plus his family upbringing inspired his sense of duty as an American citizen throughout his entire life.

John graduated high school at age 16 and went on to attend Arkansas State College in Jonesboro, majoring in Business with electives in Agriculture. After two years, John left A-State to marry Shirley Mae Wells of Manila, AR. John and Shirley briefly lived in Detroit where John worked as a welder at a General Motors plant. When they returned to Arkansas, John managed the drive-in movie theater in Jacksonville before moving to Caraway to take over his mother’s cotton farm. He later returned to A-State to finish his education.

After graduation John worked as an ag finance specialist in Marianna, AR with Production Credit Association (PCA), today known as Farm Credit. The Marianna office was a branch of the Forest City PCA, which at the time was the 2nd largest PCA in America. John often said his goal when he started work at PCA was to become president of that Forrest City association. John’s career with PCA spanned decades and included work in Marked Tree, AR and St. Louis, MO. He was president of the Central Arkansas PCA in Conway, the Delta PCAs in Greenville and Greenwood, MS, and finally, East Arkansas Farm Credit in Forrest City.

John and Shirley retired in 1986 and moved to live on Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs, where they bought the 25th house of their marriage. John and Shirley had one daughter, Dr. Tina Diann Gray Teague, and two sons, Timothy John and Tyson Matthew Gray (both deceased). John admired and respected his son-in-law, Dr. Paul Wood Teague, and he was immensely proud of his two grandchildren, John (Jack) Elba Teague and Dr. Zoe Teague Weeks. Most recently, John was delighted to welcome the arrival of his great-granddaughter, Amelia Grethel Teague. John had one sister, Peggy Ruth Nall Mathis, and he was the happy uncle to many nieces and nephews.

John’s beloved wife Shirley died in 2002. John remarried in 2006 to Jessie Stafford of Hot Springs, and they lived happily for 10 wonderful years before Jessie passed away in 2016. In his final years, John enjoyed great times with his lovely friend, Marsha Mays, of Hot Springs. John enjoyed music and playing his organ. He was a member of the Elks Lodge. He was a superb dancer, excellent cook, and dedicated vegetable gardener. John loved playing cards and spending time out on the lake with family and friends. He was a dedicated member of the Oaklawn United Methodist Church where he loved his Sunday School group. He was an honest, honorable man, and a good citizen.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, July 12 at 11:00 AM at the Oaklawn United Methodist Church, 216 Higdon Ferry Road, with the Rev. Tonja Hancock presiding. It was John's wishes that memorial donations be made to Oaklawn UMC.