Virginia Gray

Gray, Virginia (Phillips Mendenhall) MITCHELLVILLE, Md. Virginia Phillips Mendenhall Gray, age 102, died in the Health Center at Collington Life Care Community, Mitchellville, Md., on December 10, 2011. Born July 31, 1909 in New York City, she was the only child of Franklin Phillips Mendenhall and Annie Myrtle Dawson. She was raised in Peekskill, N.Y.; graduated magna cum laude and Pi Beta Kappa, with honors in economics from Mt. Holyoke College; won a Fellowship to Ecole Des Sciences Politicque (now part of the Sorbonne) in Paris, France (1933-34). She began employment with the U.S. government in May 1934 in Washington D.C.; married Edward R. Gray in September 1934, and settled permanently in the Washington D.C. area. During the early years of World War II and while raising three daughters, she taught economics at American University; after the war she moved with the family to Paris while her husband worked with the Marshall Plan; then returned to Washington in 1948 where she spent the next 40 plus years doing volunteer work with a wide variety of organizations, especially those involving her daughters' schools and Girl Scouts. She and her husband were strong supporters of Tusculum College, where her father-in-law had been college president for 25 years. She was a founding and life member of Arena Stage; helped start the International Center in D.C. - one of the first to be asked by the state department to entertain international guests in her home; a founding and life member of the National Museum of Women in the Arts; life member of US Capitol Historical Association; League of Women Voters; United Nations Association; Women's National Democratic Club; Cleveland Park Citizens Association; and numerous other civic and cultural organizations. She joined All Souls Unitarian Church in 1947 and served a term on the board of trustees and as finance chairperson. In 1950, while still devoted to raising her daughters, she began volunteer work with UNICEF and began testifying in Congress for UNICEF and the national PTA (plus 36 other national organizations). In March 1954, she became executive secretary of the citizens committee for UNICEF with principle responsibility to represent them before the appropriate committees on Capitol Hill. She became well known for representing UNICEF and was called "Mrs. UNICEF", so named by Sen. Hubert H. Humphrey. In 1984, she authored a book "LOVE IS NOTE ENOUGH: Recollections of a Capital Hill Lobbyist for UNICEF", which included first hand accounts of many of her world travels for UNICEF. The book's title stemmed from a comment from Sen. Humphrey that "Everyone loves children!" after a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing to which she replied "But, Senator, love is not enough." She received numerous awards from a variety of NEA/PTA and UN organizations and was listed in Who's Who of American Women for several years. She was honored at the BPW of Capital Area (DC) Human Rights Luncheon. In 1979 she received the UNICEF "Oscar" for distinguished service to the United Nation's Children's Fund. In the late 1960s, she built a "vacation home" in Berkeley Springs, W.Va., then bought additional acreage and planted tree seedlings to grow for 30-40 years. She became a strong conservationist to save natural resources for future generations. She had wide-ranging interests and supported many programs in the arts - music groups, artists and art galleries, museums of U.S. and French history, and she was an avid reader on all subjects. She enjoyed gardening and watching her flowers bloom and trees grow. But most of all she enjoyed her family, raising her daughters and encouraging her grandchildren. Between 1974-1997, she visited Albany frequently and enjoyed meeting her daughter's friends and associates. In June 1993, Mrs. Gray relocated from her home of 50+ years in Cleveland Park to the Collington Continuing Life Care Community and remained until her death. She is survived by Charlotte O. Gray (retired Albany County Probation Director) of Albany, N.Y., Virginia G. (Ginette/Mrs. Lucien) Polak of Berkeley, Calif. and Phyllis G. Webster of Portland, Ore.; former son-in-law, David B. Webster of Gaithersburg, Md.; five grandchildren; and ten great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband, Edward R. Gray in March 1974 and a grandson. Rapp Funeral Home in Silver Springs, Md. handled her cremation and her ashes will be buried in Shiloh Cemetery, Greeneville, Tenn. in May. Those arrangements will be made by Doughty Stevens Funeral Home at the convenience of the family. In March, a memorial service will be held at Collington Life Care Community at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, those wishing to remember Virginia Gray may make contributions to the Museums of Tusculum College, Office of the President, PO Box 5048, Greeneville, TN 37743 or to the Collington Residents Association, 10450 Lottsford Road, Mitchellville, MD 20721-2734.