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BORN
1939
DIED
2024
Gordon Bray Obituary
He was a man of many parts - an athlete, intellectual, adventurer, and above all, beloved and loving father. From a young age, education was paramount. He built lasting friendships at Brooklyn Tech, where his athletic accomplishments led to a 1956 Penn State Relay Distance Medley championship win. He graduated from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service in 1961 and served in the United States Army during the Vietnam Era.
Gordon resided with his family in the cherished Spottswood Park neighborhood, enjoying a community of incredible friends and neighbors who became family. In retirement, Gordon continued in service, volunteering with immigrant communities displaced by global conflict. His love of the water led him to single-hand his Southern Cross sailboat from Florida to Virginia in his late 60s. He settled in Hampton where he loved watching the ospreys on the Chesapeake Bay.
Gordon had a magnetic personality. His spirit, determination, and strength were unmatched. He was regarded by his friends as a superb raconteur with sophisticated tastes. He was a deep reader of history, loved John le Carré and Eric Ambler, and enjoyed other writers with a great sense of irony.
Gordon is survived by his loving daughters, Margaret Elizabeth Bray Mustian (Wilson) and Caroline Cullen Bray Moreno (Michael), cherished grandchildren Ruth Love Mustian, Audrey Grace Moreno, and Christopher Bray Moreno, his brothers David Arthur Bray and Arthur Robert Bray (Theda), his former spouse Elizabeth Jane Cullen Bray and his loving partner Abigail Rathbone. Gordon was preceded in death by his father Arthur Herman Bray and mother Sara Kersh (Kirschenbaum).
An intimate ceremony will honor Gordon the weekend of January 26th. In lieu of flowers, Gordon would prefer a donation benefiting higher education. His memory will forever live in the hearts of those who knew him.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
Memories and Condolences
for Gordon Bray
2 Entries
Amy
December 18, 2024
Just his huge sense of humor and ongoing kindness!
Amy Cullen Bopp
January 7, 2024
Gordon had a great sense of humor. One time he decided to help me out at Trivia so my sisters wld not always be the ones who won.
He stayed out of my sisters' line of vision during the game and mouthed the answers which I then spoke as if they were my answers. My sisters could not figure out how I was winning. He was a great guy!
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