Henry D. Gregory III

April 3, 1921 December 22, 2008 Henry D. (Hank) Gregory III, of Roanoke, Va., retired GE engineer and philanthropist, Presbyterian elder and wit, died on Monday, December 22, 2008. As he might have put it, "There's now one less of-us young folks around than there used to be."
Born in Denver, Colo., to Henry Jr. and Marion Hawkins Gregory, and educated in Denver public schools, he graduated in electrical engineering from the University of Colorado in 1942. In that same year, he married Lorraine Bixby, who predeceased him in 2001, and began in Schenectady, N.Y., his 42 year career with General Electric. There the couple's three children were born. In 1956, the family moved to Roanoke with GE, from which Mr. Gregory retired in 1984. In 2005, he married Imogene Dean, shared joy and love and support with her until he died, and embraced her children as his own.
Mr. Gregory was a leader and supporter of First Presbyterian Church, Treasurer of the Roanoke County Republican Party, a member of the GE Elfun Society; and delivered Meals on Wheels, his final time only days before his death. Hank Gregory received each day as a gift, and gratefully gave himself and his treasure to support his church and other agencies he saw to be serving his God's holy and loving purposes.
He is survived, and his memory is cherished, by his widow, Imogene; and her children, Nancy, Lawrence and Mary Beth; and by his children, grandchildren; and great-grandchildren, son, Henry D. IV (Greg) and Bobi, and their sons, H.D.V (Quint), Elijah and Asa, and grandchildren, Kimberly, H.D.VI (Shay), and Noah; Jack, Kate and Emory; daughter, Lorinda (Rindy) and Sam, and their sons, Sam III, David Scott, Chuck and Greg, and their grandchildren, Meggan and Gretchen; Emily and Samantha; Harrison, Ian and Gillian; Sara and Dylan; son, Scott and Kaye, and their children, Alicia and Stewart, and their granddaughter, Abigail. He is also survived by his cousins, Virginia Hawkins and Donald Hawkins.
The family wishes to express its deep gratitude to the Roanoke Memorial Hospital Neurotrauma ICU and to Chaplain Lisa Meyer, for their excellent practice of the healing arts, and their even better compassion as human beings.
The Rev. Bob Smith will lead a memorial service in the sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church 3 p.m. on Sunday, January 4, 2009. An informal reception will follow in the Fellowship Hall. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to LOA, designate Meals on Wheels in memory of Hank Gregory, P.O. Box 14205, Roanoke, Va. 24038-4205 or the First Presbyterian Church Capital Building Campaign, 2101 S. Jefferson St., Roanoke, Va. 24014.