Gray leaves behind his wife, Anne, with whom he shared 58 years of marriage, sons Greg (Shaune), Chris (Stephanie), daughter-in-law Cathy, brothers Max and Bill, and grandchildren Gray, Ryan, Charlotte, Faye, Matthew, Gregory and James. He was predeceased by son Bruce (Cathy), parents Bruce and Dorothy, and brother Jimmy. His brother Bruce died in infancy.
Gray grew up with his three brothers on the family farm in St. Stephen, New Brunswick. Despite losing their father at an early age, life with his mother and brothers provided a lifetime of stories, a penchant for hard work and a knack for problem-solving. Gray never ceased to amaze with tales of beekeeping, handling a team of Belgian horses, grinding turnips to feed cattle, weeding endless rows of vegetables, and the hijinks and misadventures of his formative years.
While he started his career as an electrician, he soon found himself in Newfoundland working for British-American Oil. He became so comfortable in his adopted province that many presumed he was a Newfoundlander. By 1968, he was transferred to Halifax, where he went on to build a well-respected petroleum contracting company. Work took him throughout the Atlantic provinces, forging professional and personal friendships he treasured. Years after his retirement, he retained a keen interest in the goings-on in the industry, often dropping by his old office to discuss projects.
Gray first met Anne during a weekend getaway to the island of St. Pierre. So smitten was he that he quickly tracked her down in St. John’s to ask her out. While she was attracted to his devilish grin and bright blue eyes, his little red VW Karmann Ghia may have sealed the deal. Gray lost a bet with his friends that he would not be married before the age of 30, when he exchanged vows with Anne 10 days before his big birthday.
Anne and Gray’s boisterous, happy home in Cole Harbour welcomed friends, teenagers, nieces, nephews and grandchildren in equal measure. Gray instilled in his sons a sense of resourcefulness, self-sufficiency, curiosity, and a willingness to help.
In their well-earned retirement, Anne and Gray enjoyed annual snowbird road trips to Florida. More recently, they took pleasure in shorter outings to watch and feed the deer at Shannon Park. Gray would quip that the best parking spot was right beside the “Don’t feed the deer” sign.
Even as his health faded, Gray’s trademark sense of humour remained sharp, asking the Dartmouth General nurses if rum could be added to his IV.
A celebration of Gray’s life will be held at a later date when restrictions are eased. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the charity of your choice.
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