Cassandra L. Gray

1954 - 2025

Cassandra L. Gray
Born: March 27, 1954 in Elgin, IL
Died: February 2, 2025 in McHenry, IL
Cassandra "Cassie" L. Gray (nee Pratt): Born March 27, 1954, died February 2, 2025.
Cassandra was born in Elgin, IL, to Kathryn R. Smith, R.N. (nee Reddersdorf) and Roy Pratt. She attended Immanuel Lutheran School in Crystal Lake, IL, before matriculating to Crystal Lake Central High School, graduating in 1972. In 1978, she welcomed her gifted, athletic son, Jonathan, a moment she described as one of the "best days of her life." She thoroughly enjoyed being a full-time mother to Jonathan, caring for her nephews, and other local Crystal Lake children, both before and after his birth. She was heartbroken to return to work in 1980 but greatly loved her newfound job as the school secretary at her alma mater, Immanuel Lutheran School. In 1981, Cassie welcomed her beautiful, empathetic daughter, Rebeckah, another one of her "best days of her life" moments. After this, Cassie often said her two children were beautiful gifts from God, and she never understood how she was so blessed.
In 1990, Cassie graduated cum laude from Trinity International University's REACH Program with a bachelor's degree. In 1995, she experienced her "Cinderella" moment when she and her two children were selected as the first Habitat for Humanity home recipients in McHenry County. She recalled how her mother, Kathryn, instructed her to "call them up and tell them to build you a house." She hoped to teach (and did teach) her children that the harder you sow, the sweeter the harvest. She taught them that there are loving and giving people who will work together to build a better world, one family at a time. Cassie and her children did not win a lottery of chance, nor did they earn or deserve it. They were chosen because someone believed in them, that they could succeed. They were offered an opportunity to help themselves build not only a home but a better life. The Gray story had just begun, a testament to her embodiment of that principle.
In her lifetime, she worked as a secretary for McHenry County Court Services, followed by being an executive administrative assistant to the McHenry County Board. However, Cassie always knew her real "dream job" was working within her faith. She didn't care what job it was; she wasn't looking for just one job. What she wanted was to spread the gospel and the love of Jesus to anyone she could. This drive led her to Concordia University, River Forest, IL, in 1999 to pursue their Deaconess Program. At the end of her journey with Concordia, she struggled to be placed within an internship required to complete the program. Her challenge was to locate anyone or any facility that would allow her to complete an internship while being partially disabled with MS and other various health concerns. Even without the official degree from Concordia, Cassie did exactly what she set out to do. She spread the word, gospel, and love of Jesus to anyone she encountered. She worked at various local LCMS churches, including St. Paul Lutheran in Harvard, Immanuel Lutheran in Crystal Lake, and Zion Lutheran of McHenry, until retiring in 2015.
Cassie loved watching her children participate in sports and other various activities as they grew up, being their greatest cheerleader. She loved baking, cooking, and making her homemade soap. She even created hypoallergenic loofah soaps before they became popular in the '90s and 2000s. She especially loved tatting, often making crosses for churches and bookmarks for confirmands. Later, she took on knitting and crocheting, creating beautiful outfits to donate for babies who never got a chance to take a breath. This was something she was very passionate about. She was very active in her church over the years. She sang in the choir, taught Sunday school, worked as a secretary, and volunteered for almost any event the church held. Cassie had a deep dedication to being of service to others wherever/however she could, whether manning a booth for a church function or working with the elderly by giving them a friend to hang out with or helping with their daily activities. She was strong and faithful in her belief in God and his son, Jesus. She often spoke of how Jesus was her best friend and that she couldn't wait to be called home to spend the rest of eternity next to Him. She hopes this brings comfort to all those she leaves behind: her son, Jonathan, of Addison, IL; daughter, Rebeckah, of Lockport, IL; a grandson; sister, Virginia (the late Tom) Hott, of Shepherdsville, KY; countless nephews, nieces, and cousins; three stepsisters; several grandnephews and a great-grandniece; and many, many friends from every place she went. Cassie was preceded in death by her grandmother, Elsa Reddersdorf; mother, Kathryn Smith; stepfather, Robert Smith; brother, Donald Pratt; and all of her aunts and uncles.
A Celebration of Life is planned for Thursday, March 27th, 2025. The family will have a private moment at the graveside of Kathryn Smith in Cary, IL. A reception/celebration will follow at The Pointe Outreach Center, 5650 Northwest Highway, Crystal Lake, IL 60014 (between Target & Sam's Club) from 3-8 pm. Cassie made it very clear that there was to be no funeral or bereavement service. She did not want people to be sad and mourn her. She wanted everyone to feel at peace, knowing she is exactly where she is meant to be.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to: www.nationalmssociety.org