Johnny Gray, Sr.

Johnny Gray, Sr, 70, departed this life on July 15th, 2025. Celebration of Life Service will be held Saturday, August 2nd, 2025 at 1 pm at Community Baptist Church. Interment will follow at Peaceful Gardens Memorial Park. Visitations will be held Friday, August 1st, 2025 from 4 pm to 6 pm at Griffin Mortuary. Johnny was a blessing to Jessie Simmons and Oscar Gray, Sr. on June 15th, 1955. Mr. Gray attended Lubbock Public Schools and graduated from Estacado High School in 1973. John enjoyed life, through family and friends with laughter, smiling, and joking always. He enjoyed playing cards and dominoes.

Joy followed him daily, he never complained, even when times were hard. Mr. Gray found a way to change negativity into positivity. Hooker was a people person, never met a stranger with his warm loving joyful demeanour.

While in the Hub City, he worked for Furr’s warehouse as a truck unloader. He was also blessed with 2 sons Johnny Jr. and Jonathan Lance Gray from a previous marriage.

Hooker left Lubbock in 1988 headed for Kansas City, MO. During his first years in Kansas, he welcomed a daughter LaRhonda Barnett-Gray in 1989. There he met and entered into wedlock with Celia Gandy on 3/14/2009. During his occupancy in Kansas City, he worked in janitorial service until his retirement. Mr. Gray resided there until his transition.

Johnny is preceded in death by his father Oscar Gray, Sr., his mother Jessie Mae Simmons, his brother Oscar Gray, Jr., grandmother Ola Mae Boxter, grandfather S. J. Gray, niece LaTasha Gray, his nephews Ashundrick Gray and Quailon Gray.

Johnny leaves behind to cherish his memory, his wife Celia Gray of Kansas City, MO; his daughter LaRhonda Barnett-Gray of Pittsburg, CA; his sons Johnny L. Gray, Jr. (Charee) of Waxahachie, TX and Jonathan Lance Gray (Avesa) of Fort Worth, TX; his sisters Rita Gray and Ollie Gray both of Lubbock, TX; Lora Gray of Arlington, TX; his brothers Michael Gray of Arlington, TX; Jerry Gray (Sherry) of Atlanta, GA; Donald Gray (Gloria) of Lubbock, TX; Clarence Gray also of Atlanta, GA; his grandchildren Taylor Martinez, Ashlee Graves, Jayden Gray, Jordan Gray, Nia Gray, Zoriah Gray, Johnny Gray, III, and Braeyln Jones, his great grandchildren Bella Graves, Julianna Martinez, and Serenity Martinez, and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends.