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Phyllis Elinor Gray, age 97, passed away peacefully on Friday, June 17, 2022 at her Klinger Lake home surrounded by family.
She was born on August 16,1924 at home in White Pigeon to Vivian Maude Huff and Phillip Thomas Cady. She started 1/2 day kindergarten at the new white Pigeon school (opened that year) and eventually graduated from White Pigeon High School with 22 others.
She met the love of her life, Dale E. Gray when he transferred to White Pigeon in 7th grade. They started dating their sophomore year of high school and were married on November 9, 1946 after Dale returned from being drafted into the military and serving his country as an Air Force pilot.
Phyllis worked a short time at White Pigeon Lumber and also the Wolverine Carton Company. When Dale returned from WW II, homes were hard to find. Phyllis and Dale lived with their parents as they built their first home together in White Pigeon on State Street. They would work at their day jobs and then work to dig the basement and lay cinder blocks at night and on weekends. They eventually completed the house with help from family. They moved into the house with borrowed furniture and love in their hearts.
Dale and his brother worked at Guy-Leroy Tool and Die for a year until it went out of business. It was at this moment that the two brothers decided to go into business for themselves. They considered a car dealership and it did not materialize. Instead, they purchased a punch press and started Gray Brothers.
Goshen Ladder was the first and only customer. Eventually, ladder hardware would become the specialty of Gray Brothers and ladder parts were shipped all over the US, Canada and Mexico. Gray Brothers would go on to purchase Tube Fabricators in Burr Oak, start Unique US products and purchase Midwest Fire Protection. Gray Brothers is still in operation today. President Ashley Riley Miller has taken over day to day operations after the passing of Jim Riley , the son in law of Dale and Phyllis. Jim married their only daughter, Sheila, on June 29, 1974.
Phyllis had a huge belief in philanthropy. She established two scholarship funds through the Sturgis Foundation- The Dale E. Gray Council of the Arts Scholarship and the Phyllis Gray Girls Sports Scholarship. She also donated a tennis court and childcare room at the Doyle Community Center in Sturgis as well as being instrumental in the construction of the Dale E Gray Science Building at Glen Oaks Community College. She was a consistent contributor to the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Klinger Lake Country Club, the Sturgis Hospital Campaign, the First Presbyterian Church in Sturgis, White Pigeon High School and the James E. Riley Memorial Fund that supports Veterans and Emotional Support Animals locally. She was recognized for these efforts by being named the 2013 White Pigeon Citizen of the Year and receiving the 2022 Fellows Award at Glen Oaks Community College.
Her other passions included travel, sports cars, and family. After Dale’s passing, Phyllis took over 30 trips with the Merry Widows Club – a ballroom dancing group that traveled the world.
Her extensive travel traveling took her all over the the USA as well as Europe, Asia, and Russia. This was in addition to traveling to her winter home in Estero, Florida at Wildcat Run Golf & Country Club. When she was home in White Pigeon, she could be seen driving one of her sports cars. She loved driving and drove until just before she passed away.
She is survived by her daughter, Shelia Jean Riley, granddaughters Jessica Beebe ( Brian), Ashley Miller (Ryan) and great granddaughters Avery, Kyla and Payton Miller.
She was preceded in death by parents, her husband and her son in law.
Visitation will be on Tuesday June 21, 2022, 9:30 to 11:00am at First Presbyterian Church Sturgis, Mi. where services will begin at 11:00am. Luncheon will follow services.
Interment will be at 1:00pm at the Dale E. Gray Mausoleum, White Pigeon Cemetery.
