Mary Lou Gray

Mary Lou was born on May 21, 1933 in Juno, Tennessee to the late Arzo Henry Fanning and Leora Woods Fanning. A woman of deep faith and servant-hearted devotion, she was an active member of Union Grove Baptist Church where she faithfully served for 55 years teaching Sunday school, working at Vacation Bible School, serving in Women’s Mission Union, and filled countless other roles within the church throughout her life. She was especially known for her remarkable card ministry, through which she sent thousands of handwritten cards offering encouragement, comfort, and love to others over the years.

Mary Lou found joy in the beauty of God’s creation. She loved nature, flowers, gardening, and fishing, and she especially cherished watching and caring for her hummingbirds. She possessed a strong will and adventurous spirit that carried her through life with determination and grace.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Ernest Wilford Gray; her son, Thomas Thurmond, Jr.; son in law, Gary Moyers; the father of her children, Thomas Duncan Thurmond, Sr.; her stepson, Ernie Gray, Jr.; and her siblings, Esther Rhodes, Jack Fanning, and Shirley McKowen.

She leaves behind a loving family to cherish her memory, including her daughters, Mary Blankenship (Tony), Maragret Moyers, and Melinda Thurmond; her daughter-in-law, Julie Thurmond; her grandchildren, Adam Thurmond, Jessica Blankenship (Zack), Travis Thurmond, Jeremy Blankenship (Amanda), Joshua Blankenship, Daniel Blankenship (Stacy), Jacob Blankenship (Savannah), and James Moyers (Faith); her great-grandson, Lleyton Blankenship; her sister, Pat Garey; several nieces and nephews; and her stepchildren, Betty Jo Insley (Ray), David Gray (Diane), Mike Gray, and John Gray.

The family would like to thank her friends and all the healthcare workers that have served Mary Lou over the last year and a half. Thank you for your love and compassion.

A service to celebrate the life of Mary Lou Gray will be held on Saturday, May 30, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. at Union Grove Baptist Church, 755 Beech Bluff Road, Beech Bluff, Tennessee, with burial to follow in the church cemetery.

The family will receive friends on Friday, May 29, 2026 from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. at Union Grove Baptist Church and again on Saturday from 11:00 a.m. until the service hour at 1:00 p.m. at the church.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in Mary Lou’s memory be made to the children’s and youth department at Union Grove Baptist Church.