Richard Gray

Coal Valley, Illinois
Richard Gray, 79, of Coal Valley, Illinois, died Monday, February 19, 2007, at Heartland Health Care Center, Moline, Illinois.
The family invites friends and family to Connie?s house at 603 E. 6th Street, Coal Valley, for a Celebration of Life Gathering anytime between 1:00 and 4:00 p.m. Sunday, February 25. Memorials may be made to In Touch Adult Day Care, Moline. Trimble Funeral and Cremation Center, Coal Valley, is assisting the family.
Richard Ernest Gray was born January 26, 1928, in Ottumwa, Iowa, the son of John and Leona (Knox) Gray. He was a paratrooper for the United States Army during the end of World War II. He graduated from Quincy College and later received a Master?s degree in educational psychology from SIU. He married Connie Cunningham on April 25, 1948, in Quincy, Illinois.
Richard spent his entire career in education. He was a teacher and a guidance counselor for the St. Louis school system and later became the Director of Placement for Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He retired from SIU in 1988 and moved to Coal Valley where he served in a similar capacity at Augustana College for three years.
Richard loved spending time with his family and loved playing any type of game. He was a competitive tennis player for many years and could beat anyone in the family at pool, croquet, chess or Monopoly well into his 70?s. He will always be remembered for his acute observation of life and the sharp wit that he used to comment on it.
Richard is survived by his wife of 58 years, five children and their spouses, Rick and Bernice Gray of Senoia, Georgia, Kathy and David Harris of Orion, Illinois, Susan Gray of Macomb, Illinois, David and Tracy Gray of O?Fallon, Illinois, and Brian and Jen Gray of Coal Valley; seven grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, a brother and sister-in-law, Duane and Maureen Gray of Quincy, Illinois, and sister-in-law Karen Gray of Decatur. He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Lee Gray.