Barbara Cree Gray

1946 - 2019

BARBARA CREE GRAY Barbara Cree Gray, age 72 of Southport, NC passed away on Monday, the twenty-first of January 2019 in the Lower Cape Fear Hospice Care Center, Wilmington, NC with her daughter Julie by her side. Born in Newport News, VA, on the twenty-eighth of September 1946, Barbara was a daughter of the late Dr. Maurice Bertram Cree, and Jean Clifford Cree of Deltaville, VA. In addition to her father, Barbara was preceded in death by a brother, David Cree, Col. US Army Retired. Barbara was a 1964 graduate of Hendersonville High School, Hendersonville, NC and attended the University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC where she studied Business Administration. Barbara was a longtime resident of Southport, NC, a place that she dearly loved. She was a community activist at heart and she kept busy to make the Southport community better than she found it. She was employed with the Bald Head Island Club as an office assistant and then office manager for 23 years from 1991 until she retired in May 2014. Barbara was very active with the NC 4th of July Festival for 19 years. She was a Hospitality Committee Member from 2001 and 2002 and Entertainment Chairman from 2003 to 2019 where she organized the music for the festival. She was a former member of the Southport Beautification Committee, Southport Economic Development Committee and the Southport Women's Club. In addition to her mother Jean C. Cree, she is survived by her loving daughter, Julie Coxe and husband, Bradley Coxe of Wilmington, NC; a brother, Richard Cree and wife Julia of Marietta, GA; a sister, Cynthia Cree of Virginia Beach, VA; sister-in-law Gretchen Cree Fewell and husband Ken of Union W. VA; two grandchildren, Gavin Andrew Coxe and Ella Katherine Coxe; her feline friend "Maggie;" and a host of friends too numerous to mention. On Sunday the twenty-fourth of February, a celebration of life service and visitation will be held from 3:00-5:00 at the Southport Community Center, 223 E Bay St, Southport, NC. Barbara's request was for friends to wear bright colors to the celebration. There will be opportunities to share stories. In lieu of customary remembrances the family would like donations made in her name to the NC 4th of July Festival, ATTN: Karen Sphar, 4433 Long Beach Road, SE, Southport, NC 28461; Southport/Oak Island Animal Rescue, SOAR, 3376 St Charles Place, SE, Southport, NC 28461; or to Lower Cape Fear Hospice, 1414 Physicians Drive, Wilmington, NC 28401. Online condolences may be made at www.peacocknewnamwhite.comPeacock-Newnam &White Funeral and Cremation Service