Ottie Jean Lewis Wells Gray, who went by the nicknames of Tick and Ott, passed away peacefully at home on November 25, 2022, at the age of 95. She was born July 28, 1927, in Laurel, Mississippi and is preceded in death by her first husband Wilburn Franklin "Bud" Wells (1951-1969), her second husband Harvey W. Gray, Jr. (1989-1999), her parents William Henry Lewis and Ottie Tarvin Lewis, and her brothers William Henry "Bill" Lewis (Eula) and Jack Tarvin Lewis. She is survived by her three children, Dennis Franklin Wells (Marilyn) of Longwood, Florida, Robert Lewis Wells (Pam) of Ridgeland, Mississippi, Susan Jean Wells Lee (Max) of Mobile, Alabama, four grandchildren, Jonathan Franklin Lee (Kamin) of Toronto Canada, Tyler Franklin Wells of Sau Paulo, Brazil, Michaela Vanderpol Wells-Clarkson (Brian) of Jacksonville, Florida, and Emily Francis Wells of Ridgeland, Mississippi, two great grandchildren, Nikan Franklin Lee and Koushan Lewis Lee, three step-daughters, Mary Ann Gray of New York, New York, Carla Gray Neidigh (Jerry) of Powhatan Virginia, and Laurel Gray Harry (Kevin) of Salisbury North Carolina, and six step-grandchildren, Anthony Fagan, Lila Harry, Zeb Harry, Wil Nelms, Lily Nelms, and Gray Neidigh. She is also survived by her in-laws Mary Lewis, Ann Murphy (Tom), Vivian Pitts, Marvin Gray (Carole), and their wonderful and much-loved families.
Ott graduated George S. Gardiner High School in Laurel and attended both Jones County Junior College and the University of Mississippi. For many years, she and Bud owned and operated Independent Directory Services through which they published telephone directories for small independent telephone companies in several southern states and W.F. Wells and Company which engaged in general printing services. She retired from the U.S. Government after working as a secretary for both the ROTC at the University of Southern Mississippi and the Postmaster at the U.S. Postal Service in Laurel, Mississippi.
Tick was a lifelong Methodist and was a member of Christ United Methodist Church in Jackson, Mississippi. She was previously a member of McLaurin Heights Methodist Church in Pearl, Mississippi. In the years before her death, she attended regular church services at The Still Water Church at the Waterford in Ridgeland, Mississippi where she lived since 2005.
Ott was a gracious, smart, faithful, kind, funny, determined, and strong woman, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, in-law, and stepmother who loved deeply, laughed much, was equally dedicated to all, and never forgot or missed a birthday, graduation, marriage, or anniversary of all in her family.
Ott asked that an especially warm thanks be publicly extended to Catherine "Cat" Braden, Shirley Young, Mary Arnold, and Emily Perry Baggett who took such kind and loving care of her in her last months.
Interment will be at Floral Hills Memory Gardens in Pearl, Mississippi next to her late husband Bud Wells. A graveside service will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday December 17 and officiated by her dear friend and pastor David Raddin of Still Water Church. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made to the American Heart Association or McLaurin Heights United Methodist Church in Pearl, Mississippi.
In every way, she was a momma, our momma, and, in so many ways, what we are, we owe to her.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.baldwinleepearl.com for the Gray family.
