Delores Gray Pickney

Frances Delores "Dee" Cyree Gray Pickney (1944 – 2025)
With a heart full of love and hands always ready to serve, Dee lived a life devoted to others. Born in 1944 to Alma and Earl Cyree, she carried an innate kindness and a boundless energy that propelled her through a lifetime of care, compassion, and unwavering faith.
Dee earned her BSN and RN, embarking on a career that knew no borders-working in an Italian orphanage, helping to shape nursing legislation, and ultimately settling in Tullahoma, TN, where she met and worked alongside her future husband, Dr. Edwin E. Gray. Together, they built a life filled with love and purpose, raising their two children, Ian and Mary Belle. When Edwin's untimely passing left her a young widow, Dee embraced the role of both mother and provider with remarkable strength.
She never let hardship dim her generosity. Whether working as a nurse, a social worker, or even a restauranteur, Dee was a steadfast presence in her community and her church. She opened her home to those in need, over-ordered food just so she could share, and found joy in lifting up others.
Later in life, she found companionship again with William "Bill" Pickney, with whom she shared her golden years. She leaves behind a legacy of kindness in her husband, her beloved children Ian and Mary Belle, and five treasured grandchildren: Sam, Finian, Brighton, Ethan, and Tallulah.
Dee's life was a testament to service, love, and resilience. She will be deeply missed, but the light she shared continues to shine in the lives she touched.