Wayne Gray

Wayne Gray, a longtime resident of Clifton and a United States Army Vietnam veteran, passed from this life Friday evening, December 26, 2025, at the St. Joseph's Hospital in Tucson, following a decline in health. Wayne was 74.
SP/5 Wayne A. Gray was born May 8, 1951. He was the oldest of three children of Paul and Joyce Gray of Morenci.
He attended the Morenci school system and graduated in 1970. After a year of working at the Clifton Rietz's Furniture Store he enlisted in the United States Army in 1971 for three years.
Wayne took his basic training at Fort Ord California, then was assigned to Redstone Arsenal for training as a 55–B–20 ammunition storage specialist. From there he was assigned to the 170th aviation troop 1st of the Ninth Calvary, First Calvary Division Fort Hood, Texas. He was also cross trained as a 45M–20 aircraft amendment sub system on Cobra Gunship helicopters. While with the 1st Calvary Division, he was also assigned to the fourth of Ninth Calvary and seventh of 17th Calvary squadron.
In 1973 Wayne re-enlisted for three more years in the army. He was an assigned to Yuma proving grounds Arizona for a year after which he was sent overseas to the Republic of South Korea for 14 months. Then came back to the states to be assigned to Fort Stewart Georgia. All three of his last assignments were with ordinance supply companies.
After he got out of the army with six years of service, he came back to his hometown of Morenci and was able to get on with Phelps Dodge Morenci branch copper mine. Wayne worked for 30 years at the mine starting as a track laborer, then moving onto water line repairman, then to boiler maker helper, after the 1981 layoffs at the mine, he was able to return to the mine and was assigned to the security department. This is where he was one of the guards in blue and grey uniforms for the 1983 to 1987 copper mine strike. In 1989, he was transferred to the tailings dam department where he worked as a tailing dam operator. In 1999, Wayne was transferred to the leach field maintenance department, which after eight years, he retired from Phelps Dodge.
Then in August 2007, Wayne went to work for Greenlee County Maintenance department taking care of the old county courthouse area, the county parks and airport, and back up for the county road crew!
In June of 2013 Wayne retired and set out to get on his honey-do list that never got shorter.
On December 23, 1977 Wayne would meet his best friend and partner in life Edwina Navarrete of Clifton.
They were married June 23, 1979, making their home out at the Loma Linda Estates and raising their two kids, Aron John Gray and Arleta Alice Gray, and then later two big joys came, their grandson, Xaiden Edward Gray and their granddaughter, Juniper Matilde Aroz-Gray. Along with step-granddaughter, Lilith Adalia Williams. With the three grandkids around the honey-do's got put on hold.
Edwina and Wayne were able to build a small summer place in Alpine, Arizona, where he called it his piece of God's country. Wayne and Edwina were happily married for 46 years.
Wayne's pass time was finding military weapons, being in events where he would be in his Calvary uniform of the 1880s to the 1890s and marching with other veterans in showing our military history.
Wayne's other big hobby was building military models, mostly of armor from World War I to present. This also consisted of aircraft and ships which were part of our United States military history.
He also loved his John Wayne movies, especially with anything related to the US Calvary in them. As well as other great action movies of our times. He enjoyed the great oldies but goodies music on the radio.
He took pride in keeping up his homes here and in Alpine. He tried to make them a showcase to look at.
Wayne always tried to treat each person he met fairly and as a friend. He tried to live by a saying from John Wayne, it goes, "I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them". He would tell his family when they would leave. "I love you as big as the world ". Wayne put in 74 years of trying to do his part, being fair, honest, and loyal. In hopes he will be remembered for that.
Wayne is survived by his wife, Edwina N. Gray; Son, Aron John Gray; daughter, Arleta Alice Gray; grandson, Xaiden Edward Gray; granddaughter, Juniper Matilde Aroz-Gray; step-granddaughter, Lilith Adalia Williams; brother, Gary Steven Gray; sister, Lori Lynn Sedgeman; and two nieces and two nephews.
He loved you as big as the world.
Funeral services for Wayne will be conducted Friday evening, January 2, 2026, at 5:00 p.m., at Vining Funeral Home's "Chapel of the Valley" by Danny Merrill.
The family will receive friends Friday afternoon, January 2, 2026, from 4:00 p.m. until service time at 5:00 p.m., also at the funeral home.
Wayne will be laid to rest Saturday, January 3, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. (noon), at the Alpine Cemetery in Alpine with military honors conferred by the United States Army Select Honor Detail.
The family asks that donations in Wayne's memory be made to the Wounded Warrior Project. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Wayne, please visit our floral store.