Lieutenant Colonel Douglas Robinson Gray, United States Army (Retired), passed away peacefully and went to his Lord on July 24, 2018 in Peachtree City, Georgia. He was 71.
Doug was born on October 16, 1946, in Washington, DC and raised in Rockville, Md. until he enlisted in the Army in 1966. He immediately attended Officer Candidate School and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant. He served in Vietnam with A Company, 39th Engineer Battalion on the South China Sea in I Corps from September 1968 to September 1969. He served two tours at the Pentagon, including a tour in the Office of the Army Chief of Staff. He retired in September 1989 from US Army Forces Command in Atlanta, Ga., where he decided to spend his retirement. He was awarded the Legion of Merit upon retirement. He went back to work as an Army civilian, where he was chief of the Enlisted Personnel Management Branch and the Civilian Support Branch, full-time Support Directorate, US Army Reserve Command over the next 16 years. His final retirement was in July 2007.
He married the love of his life, Patricia Ann Obertots Gewe, on September 23, 1976. They shared the next 42 wonderful years together, enjoying life and their mutual passion, golf. They remained in Peachtree City and raised two beautiful daughters, Kimberly and Jennifer.
He completed his masters of arts degree from Webster University in the early 1980’s. Colonel Gray was a proud member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, and the Kiwanis International; all of Peachtree City.
Doug was preceded in death by his parents, James O. and Ellen T. Gray (Myrtle Beach, S.C.). He leaves behind his beautiful family; wife, Patricia Ann Gray; daughters Kimberly Christine Cox, her husband Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Cox, and three grandsons, Evan, Nathan and Logan Cox (Stafford, Va.); daughter, Jennifer Michelle Gray (Chantilly, Va.); a sister Carlie Kingdon (Silver Spring, Md.); and brother, Gordon Gray (Mauldin, S.C.). He also leaves a niece, Kathryn Ferguson (Goleta, Calif.); nephew Michael Flynn (Conshohocken, Pa.), and their lovely families as well as an aunt and uncle, Dave and Jane Sharpe (Ponte Vedra, Fla.).
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 11, 2018 at 1 p.m. at the Chapel of Mowell Funeral Home, Peachtree City. The family will receive friends at 12 p.m., prior to the service.
In lieu of flowers, Doug would very much appreciate a donation to the General Fund of VFW Post 9949, PO Box 2267, Peachtree City, Ga. 30269.
Carl J. Mowell & Son Funeral Home, Peachtree City – www.mowellfuneralhome.com.
