Charles "Eddie" Edward Gray Jr.

Charles Edward Gray, Jr., 83, of Tallahassee died Friday (4/24). He was born at Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater, FL on Jan 14th, 1932. He lived in Clearwater for the first 5 years, then moved with parents to Madison, FL for 2 years, then to Tallahassee, FL from ’38 – 1940. Then to Lake City, FL from 1940 to 1942, then returned to Tallahassee where his growing up years remained until 1954 when he joined the U.S. Air Force.

His grammar school years were in Sealy Memorial School and he then attended Leon High School. He was class vice-president his junior year at Leon High and president of the Senior High Glee Club. Eddie played varsity football and track. He was selected all Northeast Conference 1st string tailback his senior year. Active in the Boy Scouts he obtained the rank of Eagle Scout.

He obtained his Baccalaureate degree in accounting from FSU in 1954, along with his graduate degree and military commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force from the FSU Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) in 1954 as well. He played varsity football at FSU in 1950 & 1951 as wingback. He obtained a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Golden Gate University in 1999.

He completed his pilot training and earned his wings in September 1955 from Goodfellow AFB, Texas in San Angelo. He went on the Randolph AFB for Advance Flight Training in the C-119 “Flying Boxcar” after which was assigned duty as an RB-47 co-pilot at Forbes AFB, Kansas near Topeka, KS. He remained a co-pilot on a select combat crew from 1955 to 1960. He went through the pilot upgrading program at McConnell AFB, Kansas (Wichita) in 1960, returning to Forbes AFB where he became a select crew Aircraft Commander until 1965. He flew numerous top secret missions in overseas locations around the periphery of the Soviet Union, China, Korea and Cuba. Many of these missions resulted in getting very important information on communist countries first line of radar and missile capabilities.

He served from 1966 to retirement in 1978 in the intelligence career field high level headquarters; such as Saigon in the Military Assistance Command Vietnam (MACV) as a psychological warfare Officer in 1967-68, serving directly under the Vietnam Army Commander, General Westmoreland; the Pentagon in Washington DC as a senior Air Staff Intelligence Officer; at the U.S. Readiness Command (formerly Strikecommand) at MacDill AFB, Tampa, FL. Retired at the rank of Lt. Colonel. Decorations include: Distinguished Flying Cross, Meritorious Service Medal, Bronze Star, Air Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, along with an assortment of special citations and awards for participation in specific units and area of the world.

He obtained his training and licensing as a Realtor in Leon County, FL in 1981, where he was actively involved in a full time career in real estate. He was fortunate and blessed by God in the successes he had in this effort. His goal had always been to remain active in this career field until reaching the age of 67.

Eddie married his one and only lifetime sweetheart, Lisbeth Ann Blitch, on September 7, 1955. Known as Libby, she traveled with him throughout his military career from Texas through to Florida, with the exception of that one year remote tour of duty in Vietnam in 1967-1968. They were blessed by the Lord with a very close and loving family, including four children and numerous grandchildren. Gary Lee Gray: married Lynda Mayo and have three children: Brooke, Tanner and Brennan; Karen April Gray Egger, married Ron Egger and have two children: Anthony and Candice; Susan Colleen Geer, married Mark and have three children: Jeffrey, Andrea, Joshua along with step-daughters: Miki, Kasie, and Conner; Lisbeth Patricia Gray, one child: Danielle and two step sons: Christopher and Jeremy; and eight Great Grandchildren.

He resided at a beautiful five acre mini-farm in the country just east of Tallahassee, where one of his greatest joys was having family get togethers and reunions on “Eddie’s Hill” in the beautiful rolling hills of northern Florida. He was very active in the non-denominational Bible Church – Grace Church of Tallahassee, as a Deacon and as Church Treasurer. He had also been an active member of the Capital Chordsmen Barber Shop Chorus in Tallahassee and served a chapter president for two years (2002-2003).

The Funeral Service will be held Monday, April 27, 2015 at 1PM at Grace Church in Tallahassee, FL, with a committal to follow at Roselawn Cemetery.