A Celebration of Life will begin at 12 noon at the Modesto Elks Lodge on Sunday, July 25, for Harold Lee Gray, 85, of Modesto. He died June 27, 2010 after a short illness.
Born Oct. 25, 1924 in Porterville to Earl and Helen Gray, Harold graduated from Porterville High School in 1942. He served in the Army Air Force during World War II as a ball turret gunner on a B-24 airplane in the South Pacific. After the war he returned to Porterville and went to work for his father at Gray's Appliances & Service where he learned heating and air conditioning In 1946 he married Audrey, the start of 63 years of marriage together. Harold and Audrey moved to Modesto in 1958. Harold went to work at Olsen's Plumbing as shop manager doing heating, air conditioning and sheet metal work in Turlock. Harold bought A-1 Sheet Metal in 1970 on Scenic Avenue in Modesto and started his own business. In 1975 he bought property on Mitchell Road and moved his business to the new location in Ceres. He retired in 1982. Harold was an avid outdoorsman and sportsman and enjoyed traveling to Baja, Mexico, fishing the Sea of Cortez, deer hunting. Mr. Gray belonged to the Modesto Elks Lodge #1282 for over 50 years, Old Fishermans' Club, American Legion, the Sheet Metal Union.
He leaves behind his wife of 63 years, Audrey Gray of Modesto; two children, Sheila Mello and Kenny Gray, both of Modesto; his brother, Joe D. Gray of Camp Nelson; his sister, Betty Logue of Rohnert Park; five grandchildren, Correy Mello of Modesto, Tara Wise of Modesto, Justin Gray of Modesto, Marissa Holck of Ripon and Matt Gray of Modesto; and nine great-grandchildren.
Remembrances may be sent to a favorite charity.
-Ceres Courier/ July 7, 2010
Born Oct. 25, 1924 in Porterville to Earl and Helen Gray, Harold graduated from Porterville High School in 1942. He served in the Army Air Force during World War II as a ball turret gunner on a B-24 airplane in the South Pacific. After the war he returned to Porterville and went to work for his father at Gray's Appliances & Service where he learned heating and air conditioning In 1946 he married Audrey, the start of 63 years of marriage together. Harold and Audrey moved to Modesto in 1958. Harold went to work at Olsen's Plumbing as shop manager doing heating, air conditioning and sheet metal work in Turlock. Harold bought A-1 Sheet Metal in 1970 on Scenic Avenue in Modesto and started his own business. In 1975 he bought property on Mitchell Road and moved his business to the new location in Ceres. He retired in 1982. Harold was an avid outdoorsman and sportsman and enjoyed traveling to Baja, Mexico, fishing the Sea of Cortez, deer hunting. Mr. Gray belonged to the Modesto Elks Lodge #1282 for over 50 years, Old Fishermans' Club, American Legion, the Sheet Metal Union.
He leaves behind his wife of 63 years, Audrey Gray of Modesto; two children, Sheila Mello and Kenny Gray, both of Modesto; his brother, Joe D. Gray of Camp Nelson; his sister, Betty Logue of Rohnert Park; five grandchildren, Correy Mello of Modesto, Tara Wise of Modesto, Justin Gray of Modesto, Marissa Holck of Ripon and Matt Gray of Modesto; and nine great-grandchildren.
Remembrances may be sent to a favorite charity.
-Ceres Courier/ July 7, 2010
