Haskell was born on September 7, 1944 in Houston, Texas, a son of his father: Haskell Harvey Gray and his mother Nolia (Ward) Gray.
He married Vicki Pharr on November 26, 1966 in Lubbock, Texas.
He is survived by his wife: Vicki Gray of Carrollton, Texas.
His children: Jennifer (husband Michael) Trent of Tomball, Texas, Juliette (husband Lewis) Flanagin of Plano, Texas, and Justin (wife Sheila) Gray of Arlington, Texas.
Six grandchildren: Brendan Flanagin, Tyler Trent, Carolyn Trent, Jeremy Flanagin, Sarah Flanagin, and Jonathan Trent.
His brother: Don (wife Martha) Judd of Amarillo, Texas.
Special cousins: Jo Wester of Austin, Texas, Lee Tate of Wichita Falls, Texas, and Ann Funston of Wichita Falls, Texas.
Haskell was preceded in death by his parents.
__________________________________________________
Haskell was born to Haskell and Nolia Gray in Houston, TX. After World War II ended, they returned to his father’s hometown of Vernon, TX. He lost both his parents by age 13, so he had a special bond with older brother, Don, while being raised by his Grandmother and his Aunt, who had three daughters that he called “sisters.”
Haskell was a quick learner and an avid reader. He was at the top of his high school class and had the lead in the play, “Harvey,” which was ironic since his own middle name was also Harvey. He graduated from Vernon High School in 1962, Texas Tech University in 1966 with a BS in Electrical Engineering, and earned his MBA at SMU in 1974.
As a senior at Texas Tech, Haskell met Vicki Pharr on a blind date. Upon graduation in 1966, he was hired at Hewlett-Packard in Palo Alto, CA. On November 26, 1966, he married Vicki at the First United Methodist Church of Lubbock. They moved to Dallas in 1968.
Haskell worked as a sales engineer for Hewlett-Packard , Wandel & Goltermann, and Thorson Company. In 1984, he started his own business, Haskell Gray and Associates, specializing in IT sales and telecommunications. He had a wide range of clients, including NASA, SMU, and other large companies. After 33 years, he retired the business and continued working as a managing director for Eon Realty in their innovative 3D computer lab. He enjoyed bringing his grandson, Brendan, with him to Eon as an apprentice.
Haskell was an avid fan of classical music. He and his wife, Vicki, were co-founders of the Gray School of Music. All three of his children have doctorates in piano performance, and he was always their number one fan. People would often ask what he played and with a smile he’d say he “played the stereo.”
In his spare time, Haskell was a wonderful cook, especially grilling steak and hosting many dinners for special occasions. He loved the outdoors, especially the beach and camping; enjoyed watching football, being a Dallas Cowboys and Tech Red Raider fan; and also loved spending time with his three children and six grandchildren.
Haskell was a life-long member of the United Methodist Church. He was on the board at Lover’s Lane Methodist Church, where his daughters were married. He also attended the local men’s BSF Bible study for many years.
Haskell begin to experience health problems when he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2010. For the last 14 months of his life, he showed his courage and strength to fight, battling West Nile Virus, cardiac surgery, and esophageal cancer.
Haskell was beloved by friends and family for his loving spirit, warm nature, sense of humor, generosity, and engaging personality.
A Memorial Service and Celebration of Haskell's life will be held on Thursday, December 12, 2019 at 11:00 AM at St. Andrew United Methodist Church. The service will be held in the main sanctuary. St. Andrew United Methodist Church is located at 5801 West Plano Parkway, Plano, Texas 75093.
Following the service, everyone in attendance is invited to Ted Dickey West Funeral Home, where a reception and lunch will be provided. Ted Dickey West is located at 7990 George Bush Turnpike, Dallas, Texas 75252.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests MD Anderson Cancer Center as a suggested charity.
Ted Dickey West Funeral Home in Dallas, Texas has charge of arrangements.
DONATIONS
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18