Born in Minnesota, he was the youngest of four children. As a young boy, his family moved to Fresno, California and later to Australia where Gilbert enjoyed his teenage years and developed a passion for cars, adventure and scuba diving.
He was a young man when the family moved back to Fresno and Gilbert began work at the San Luis Dam. A coworker at the dam introduced him to the love of his life, Marilyn. They were married on February 14, 1965 and started a family shortly thereafter. They made their first home in Los Banos, but moved to the Willow Glen area of San Jose in December of 1967 where they raised four children.
With the move to San Jose, Gilbert also changed careers and joined Lockheed Martin as a technician in their space satellite division, where he remained for over 30 years. When not working, he enjoyed refurbishing vintage furniture, working on cars and spending time outdoors with his family. He was a talented jack-of-all-trades who could build or fix nearly anything and was always willing to help a neighbor in need. His boisterous personality and thunderous voice will be missed in the neighborhood.
Gilbert is preceded in death by his wife, Marilyn (1941-2022), his parents, Gilbert George Bray, Sr. (1894-1956) and Ellyn (Bystrom) Bray (1897-1998), his brother Patrick Bray (1928-1942) and two sisters Phyliss (Bray) Hargrave (1924-2017) and Emmy Lou (Bray) Olsen (1931-2005). He is survived by his children Rebecca Jackson (James), Patricia Bray, Christopher Bray (Dailene), Matthew Bray (Meredith), eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Friends and family are invited to attend a memorial service at the Lima Family Erickson Memorial Chapel on Willow Street in San Jose on December 27, 2024, with viewing and reflection from 12:00-1:00 pm and a funeral service beginning at 1:00 pm. A Celebration of Life will immediately follow at the Three Flames restaurant in San Jose.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in memory of Gilbert to the American Heart Association or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
