Kay Co., OK - Obits: John Joseph Gray ***************************************************** This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb by: Andy Leven USGenWeb Archives. Copyright. All rights reserved http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ***************************************************** John Joseph Gray, Ponca City resident, died Thursday, Feb. 12, 2004, at Via Christi Oklahoma Regional Medical Center. He was 66. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. in St. Mary's Catholic Church with the Rev. John Michalicka, pastor, as celebrant, and the Rev. Marvin Leven as concelebrant. A graveside service will follow at 1 p.m. in Riverside Cemetery in Ralston under the direction of the Trout Funeral Home. The family will receive friends this evening from 7 until 8 at the funeral home. John was born Feb. 26, 1937, in Oklahoma City, the son of Lyman Otto and Maria Frances Leven Gray. He attended St. Mary's Catholic School and graduated from St. Gregory's High School in Shawnee in 1955. On Aug. 11, 1956, he and the former Carol Rae Garner were married in Ponca City. Following high school, John began working for A&A Paint. He was briefly employed by the Wichita Police Department in 1960. In 1966 he moved to Mt. Home, Idaho, where he joined the police department and worked until gaining the position of chief of police. In 1980 he took the position of chief of police of Cascade, Idaho, until his retirement from law enforcement in 1985. That same year, he and Carol returned to Ponca City where he was employed by Smith International until 1991. They moved to Mt. View, Ark., in 2000. They returned to Ponca City in November of 2003. John was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church and the Elks Lodge. He enjoyed woodworking, hunting, fishing and camping. Surviving are his wife Carol, of the home; a daughter, Cheryl Phillips and her husband Doyle of Pine Bluff, Ark; a son, Lyman Gray of Boise, Idaho; a sister, Betty "B.J." Darling of Mountain Home, Idaho; two brothers, Don "L.D." Gray and Steve Gray, both of Ponca City; four grandchildren, Erin Noble, Caroline McKay, Tiffany Goddard and Alicia Gray; and two great-grandchildren, Joshua Goddard and Chase McKay. He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Trudy Yanora. Casket bearers will be Donnie Gray, Billy Gray, Jimmy Gray, Tommy Gray, Stevie Gray and Paul Gray. Honorary casket bearers will be Bobby Gray, Mike Gray, Greg Gray, Timmy Gray, Stephen Anderson and J.F. Yanora. Memorials may be made to the Ponca City Police Foundation, 200 E. Oklahoma, Ponca City, Okla. 74601. Published Friday, February 13, 2004 on page A3, Ponca City News Obit from Mt. Home News, Elmore County, ID: John Gray, 66 Wednesday, February 25, 2004 John Joseph Gray, 66, of Ponca City, Okla., formerly the police chief of Mountain Home, died Thursday, Feb. 12, 2004, at Via Christi Oklahoma Regional Medical Center. Services were held Feb. 14, at St. Mary's Catholic Church. John's cousin Rev. Marvin Leven attended as concelebrant at the services. Graveside services were held following the funeral at Riverside Cemetery in Ralston Oklahoma. John was born Feb. 26, 1937, in Oklahoma City, Okla., the son of Lyman Otto and Maria Frances Leven Gray. He attended St. Mary's Catholic School and graduated from St. Gregory's High School in Shawnee, Okla., in 1955. On Aug 11, 1956, he married his childhood sweetheart, Carol Rae Garner in Ponca City. Following high school, John began working for A & A Paint. He was then employed by the Wichita Police Department in 1960. In 1966 he moved to Mountain Home where he joined the police department, working his way up from patrolman to school resource officer to detective and then chief of police. John left the police department in April 1981. John and Carol moved to Featherville to live in "God's Country." There they ran Lit'l Brother's Featherville Saloon for a time. John then took the position as Chief of Police in Cascade until his retirement from law enforcement in1985. That same year he and Carol returned to Ponca City, Okla., until 2000. They then decided to move to Mountain View, Ark., to be closer to their daughter and her family living in Little Rock, until their recent return to Ponca City in 2003. John enjoyed family, friends, woodworking, hunting, fishing, camping, snowmobiling and making his "famous" homemade ice cream. He was a member of the Elks and St. Mary's Catholic Church. He is survived by: his wife, Carol, of Ponca City, Okla.; a daughter, Cheryl Phillips and her husband, Doyle, of Pine Bluff, Ark.; a son, Lyman Gray of Boise; a sister, Betty "BJ" Darling of Mountain Home; two brothers, Don "LD" Gray and Steve Gray, both of Ponca City, Okla.; four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Trudy Yanora. Memorials may be made to the Ponca City Police Foundation, 200 E. Oklahoma, Ponca City, Okla. 74601.