- Date Of Birth: January 26, 1922
- Date Of Death: January 21, 2017
- State: Connecticut
Raymond P. Gray, 94, a longtime resident of Columbia, passed away on Saturday, January 21, 2017, just a couple days shy of his 95th birthday. He is survived by his wife of many, many years, Hazel; a son, Bill, daughter in law, Valerie, and his grandchildren, Olivia and Noah, all of Atlanta, GA.; a brother Henry, and his wife Chris of Texas, and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his beloved daughter, Kathleen. Ray was born in New Britain, CT, to the late William and Olga (Malagoli) Gray. Growing up during the Great Depression, Ray came to the Windham area in the late 1930’s to join the Civilian Conservation Corps., (CCC). It was here that he met Hazel Maynard, who soon after became his wife, marrying a few short weeks before the attack on Pearl Harbor and Ray’s joining of the army. Upon returning home from the war, (“the happy journey home aboard the Queen Mary”), Ray started work as a carpenter, joining the local United Brotherhood of Carpenters Union. He worked on varied local construction projects in Hartford and Central/Eastern CT, including many of the Hartford high-rises and the building spurt at the UConn Storrs campus during 1950’s, 60’ and 70’s. He was a longtime gold member of the VFW, as well as belonging to the American Legion and several other local social clubs. An accomplished all-around athlete and lifelong sports fan, Ray participated on many local sports teams and leagues, most notably as a pitcher in fast pitch softball in the ‘50s and ‘60s. Ray was among the many brave souls who made the early morning landings at Omaha Beach on June 6th, 1944, and was one of the lucky ones that survived.
