Elmon Gray Obituary

Elmon Taylor Gray RICHMOND - Elmon Taylor Gray of Richmond, formerly of Waverly, Va., died Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2011, at the age of 86. He was the son of Garland and Agnes Taylor Gray and was predeceased by his beloved wife of 62 years, Pamela Burnside Gray and by his sister, Florence Gray Tullidge. He is survived by his three children, Katharine Taylor Gray, Richmond, Va., Garland Gray II, married to Ann Peery Gillespie Gray, Williamsburg, Va., and Bruce Burnside Gray, Richmond. He is also survived by his sisters, Mary Wingate Gray Stettinius, Richmond, and Agnes Elizabeth Gray Duff, Fredericksburg; stepmother, Frances Bage Gray, Delray Beach, Fla.; and stepsister, Mary Gray Shockey, Millwood, Va. He had five grandchildren, Dr. Pamela Herbert Minkler, married to Michael Minkler, Charles C. Herbert III, married to Diana Cosma Herbert, Martha Leece Gray; Garland Gray III, and Elmon Taylor Gray II; and two great-grandsons, Mason Robert Minkler and Jameson Gray Minkler, all of whom he was very proud. Elmon graduated from Waverly High School in 1942 on the day of the Battle of Midway in World War II. He attended the Virginia Military Institute with his time there interrupted by service in the U.S. Navy. He served in the South Pacific aboard a minesweeper after which he finished his academic work and received his degree from Virginia Military Institute in 1947. Following his graduation, he returned to Waverly and began has lifelong career at his family's Gray Lumber Company and other related entities, becoming its president in 1953 and serving as chairman of GrayCo at the time of his death. He also served on numerous boards including the Bank of Waverly, James River Bankshares, First & Merchants National Bank, Virginia Electric Power Company, and Universal Leaf Tobacco Company. He had a passionate devotion for charitable fund-raising and helped raise money for various organizations including Boy Scouts of America, VMI, Appomattox Regional Governor's School, Virginia Historical Society, National D-Day Memorial at Bedford, Stuart Hall, and the Southeast 4-H Educational Center. He was very proud to have served in the Senate of Virginia for 20 years, having been elected in 1971 to occupy the seat which his father had held for the prior thirty years. He always felt his public service enabled him to learn a lot about people and causes while making new and lasting friends along the way. His beloved wife, Pam, converted him from his Grandmother Gray's Congregational Christian Church to the Christ Episcopal Church in Waverly. He was currently a member of Merchants Hope Episcopal Church. The family would like to thank Ann Igou, Lisa Warren and the wonderful caregivers from Mature Options (Dorothy, Alba, Cheryl, Kelly, Gwen, Hassanutu, and Sherline) and also Norah, Sue, Pat and Vicki from Bon Secours Hospice. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the VMI Foundation, Neikirk Hall, 304 Letcher Avenue, Lexington, VA 24450; Westminster Canterbury Foundation, 1600 Westbrook Avenue, Richmond, VA 23227; Friends of the Waverly Library, P.O. Box 543, Waverly, VA 23890; or Hospice at Bon Secours, 5875 Bremo Road, Suite 710, Richmond, VA 23226. Burial will be private. A memorial service will be held at VMI Chapel, Lexington, Va., at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11.

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Published by The Virginian-Pilot from Sep. 28 to Sep. 29, 2011.

Memories and Condolences
for Elmon Gray

5 Entries

October 5, 2011

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Eppington Foundation I would like to express our most sincere condolences to the entire family for the loss of your father. He was the Honorary Chairman of our Foundation. His leadership and vision will be greatly missed.

Most sincerely,

Don Gardner
Major General, USMC (Ret)
President
Eppington Foundation

Joy Gay Bowman

October 2, 2011

To Kay, G.G., and Bruce
Your father was the perfect polished Southern gentleman. His generosity provided many of the opportunities I had in school and the community as a child. I had the privilege of knowing you grandfather, father and the three of you. For so many years the lives of our families have crossed each other. My father and your grandfather were great friends as well as your father and mine. We all went to school together.We worked on our High School Yearbook together. We lived next door to one another for a time and now just passing at class reunions.Now our families will rest in adjoining rows at the cemetery. Each one of them was a great man or woman in their own right. I shall always remember your father's kind ways and gentlemanly manners but one memory stands out the most. With a small grin and twinkle in his eye, your father always would remind me that I broke G. G.'s arm in first grade while on the see-saw! He never forgot to love the small things that make life grand. There was no finer man than Elmon T. Gray. May God bless the Gray family with happy memories and heartfelt peace at this time of loss.

Jeff Neblett

September 28, 2011

I wanted to write and express my condolences to the Gray family. I will always remember Senator Gray as a kind and generous man. My grandfather, Hinton Neblett, worked with Senator Gray at the Bank of Waverly for many years and always spoke highly of having him as a friend and partner in the bank. As a youngster, Senator Gray had always taken an interest in me. I especially am fond of the wonderful letter he wrote me on my graduation from high school. I enjoy reading it periodically as it was so nice of him to think of me.

I will always remember Senator Gray as the epitome of a true Southern gentleman.

Beth Hodge

September 28, 2011

I am grateful to Sen. Gray for helping provide my daughters with a wonderful education at Stuart Hall where he served as our most significant benefactor during my 10 years there as an administrator. Thanks to a generous tuition remission policy, my daughters were able to obtain a first-rate education which included excellent academics, outstanding training in the visual arts and in creative writing, leadership opportunities, and a working understanding of what it means to "do the right thing" and to be honorable. They were successful high school students and became successful college graduates. As a single mom who wanted the best for her children but struggled sometimes to provide it, I credit Elmon Gray for literally keeping that "dear old school" in operation. For that, my daughters and I will remain ever grateful to Elmon Gray and we extend our sincere condonlences to all the Gray family and friends of Elmon's and Pam's.

Dave MIller

September 28, 2011

To the Gray family,

The Senator was also a teacher. He and his deskmate, Howard Anderson taught me, as a rookie General Assembly reporter, the ins and outs of what and why something was happening on or off the floor. What they had to say was always straight down the middle, even if it involved an issue they opposed.

Slowly but surely their generation of legislators, lobbyists and "charactors" is heading to that great General Assembly in the sky.

Many of the current crop of the above should take a few minutes to look up and learn a few lessons about how to get things done the right way.

Well done, Senator.

Sincerely,
Dave Miller

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