Graydon Lennon Gray Jr.

Graydon "Buddy" L. Gray, Jr., 77, of Goose Creek, South Carolina, passed away June 2, 2021 after a long battle with cancer. The Family will receive visitors at 1:00 pm followed by funeral services at 2:00 pm this Saturday, June 5, 2021 at Cathedral Church, 3790 Ashley Phosphate Road. He was born on December 16, 1943 in Norfolk, VA, the son of the late Graydon Gray, Sr. and Ellen White Harris. He grew up in Manteo, NC and Beech Island, SC where he met his high school sweetheart. On June 23, 1962, he married his loving wife Mary Ann Rogers. Together they shared 59 years of marriage, three children and countless memories. Buddy leaves to cherish his memory his loving wife, Mary Ann; daughters, Lisa (Don) Hutson, Susan (Eddie) Tilley and son Michael (Jessica) Gray; grandchildren: Donald (Victoria) Hutson, Brittany (John) Wilgus, Anna Paige Hutson, Matthew (Calysta) Tilley, Mary-Kate Tilley (Blake Califf), Taylor Gray (Nick Latronica), Elijah Gray; great-grandchildren: Charlie Lynn Hutson, Alex Hutson and Logan Hutson. Buddy joined the U.S. Navy in 1962 in Norfolk, VA and was later stationed in Charleston, SC where he raised his family. He was honorably discharged from the Navy in 1970 and at that time joined the U.S. Air Force Reserves retiring in 1988. He worked at SC Electric and Gas Company for ten years providing vital electrical support at their main facility at Plant Hagood and their facility on Bushy Park Road. He was employed at the Charleston Naval Shipyard as an electrician in the Calibration Lab before being promoted to a Nuclear Missile Inspector at the POMFLANT retiring with 25 years of government civilian service. In 2000, he came out of retirement to work at Charleston Southern University for 17 years as an IT Specialist where he enjoyed providing IT support to the Athletic Department. He went to most of the football games and loved to travel with the team to away games. He served eight years as a member of the Berkeley County School Board in the late 1970's where he focused on ensuring quality and equal education opportunities for all students.