Donald Rex Gray's Obituary
Donald Rex Gray was born May 2, 1941 in Caglesville, AR and died on November 12, 2018 in Chelan, WA. Don was the sixth child of seven born to Boyd and Lois Gray. He grew up in the foothills of the Ozark mountains picking tomatoes and cucumbers in the summer months and milking cows before school each day. In his free time, he played baseball and basketball and explored those same foothills with his siblings and childhood friends.
Don attended Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, AR on an ROTC scholarship (1959-63). He later served in the US Army (1963-65), meeting his future wife Carol while stationed at Fort Lewis, WA. The two were drawn together by their common Christian faith and soon married on December 22, 1965.
Don and Carol were married one month shy of 53 years and were considered a great team. They had three children, Christopher Mark (born 1967), David Michael (1970), and Andrew Martin (1971). Don invested significant time and energy as a father, encouraging each son to pursue his passions in life.
After his army service, Don began a career in education at Fife High School (1967-1998) where he taught several subjects including art and business. He also spent many hours after school teaching driver’s education.
Don was a committed Christian and active member of Lutheran Church of Christ the King in Tacoma, WA. In 2013, Don and Carol moved to Chelan, WA where they became members of Lake Chelan Lutheran Church.
Don was always active in some kind of hobby including pottery, writing short stories and poems, public speaking (Toastmasters) and following national news.
Don will be remembered for his love for storytelling, especially regarding his Arkansas roots, his smile and laughter, and desire to serve others. His faith in Jesus Christ and his family were his first priorities. Don enjoyed his role as grandpa possibly most of all. He was known for taking his grandkids on made-up dinosaur hunts and telling stories in the gazebo that he had proudly won at a local exhibition.
Don is survived by his wife Carol and three sons (Chris, David, and Andrew), two daughters-in-law (Nancy and Nikki) and 7 grandchildren (Colten, Olivia, Lauren Sky, Forest, Nathaniel, Jonathan, and Ruth). He is survived by 5 siblings residing in Arkansas (Bobbye, Betty, Jerry, Randall, and Ricky).
Graveside will be 12:30 pm Tuesday, Nov 27, in Mountain View Memorial Park. A memorial service will follow at 3 pm at Lutheran Church of Christ the King, 1710 85th St. E., Tacoma.
Memorials can be directed to Confluence Home Health Care (Hospice), Lutheran Church of Christ the King (Tacoma) or Lake Chelan Lutheran Church.
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