Billy passed away on June 19, 2022 at home with his wife of 63 yrs beside him as she always has been. He is survived by his wife, Mattie Gray; two daughters Freda Taylor and Melissa Gray; grand-daughter Kayla Marcum; grandson's Shawn Gray and Dylan Johnson Gray; great-grand daughter's Hailey Gray and Lula Mae Gray; sister Linda Keys (Bobby) and brother Delbert Gray of Glasgow, Ky and brother David Gray (Mary) of Lexington, Ky; step-grandchildren Ezra and Alia McDaniel and Chase Johnson (Maggie); step-great grandchildren Baxton McDaniel and Mason Johnson; like a grandson; Will Peppenger.
Billy was preceded in death by his only son Bill (B2theG) Gray; brothers Junior and Elmer Gray and 1/2 brothers Jerry and Stanley Gray and sister Lucille Hazelwood.
Billy loved to watch western shows and was a big fan of Chuck Norris "Walker, Texas Ranger". Billy also loved sweets of any type, cakes, ice cream, suckers, etc.
Now I am going to talk about my dad, my hero! I have never seen such a hardworking man as my dad. A man that would do anything to help his family. Worked before it was daylight until it was dark. He worked hard his entire life only to retire and have everything he ever knew taken from him by Alzheimer's. He got himself an F150 Ford truck that he loved but did not get to enjoy because Alzheimer's took away his knowledge to drive. My mom had to take the keys away and for the longest time he could not understand why he could not drive his truck. I ended up taking the truck and I still have it and drive it at times and I feel him there with me. It will always be dad's truck. But one thing that disease could not take from Dad was his love for my mom. He knew her to the very end. When my dad forgot me it was heartbreaking to say the least. I would ask him who I was and he would say Meric Finn?? No clue where that came from but that is who I was to him. I would say no dad I'm your wonderful daughter and he would say my what?? Then he would say "I don't have a daughter".
My first car was a skylark 2 door eight track player and it was the most incredible car ever. Not because of the make or model but because my dad worked off the payment for the car on a job for a lady so he could give that car to me. That is all my dad knew was to work and work hard. My first house dad poured concrete for my driveway and my garage floor and he put up a privacy fence that he did by hand with a hole digger, yep by hand with a hole digger for the fence posts. When he was doing all of this for me he would have lunch at my home, I would try to have things laid out on the table for him and he also liked to eat bologna and crackers with our dog at the time, Little Buddy. My dad was one of a kind! My father, my hero, has gone home but that has left such an empty feeling in my heart that will never go away. How grateful and what an honor that I was allowed to call this man my dad.
A visitation will be held at Arch L. Heady at Resthaven 4400 Bardstown Road on Monday June 27 from 10 AM-2 PM with a funeral service to follow.
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