Obituary of Vernie Ashby Gray Jr. VERNIE ASHBY GRAY JR. Virginian-Pilot, The (Norfolk, VA) - February 21, 2000 Vernie Ashby Gray Jr., 66, of Monroe Road, died Feb. 19, 2000. A native of Franklin, he was a son of the late Vernie and Bessie Powell Gray. Mr. Gray was retired as a master gunnery sergeant after 20 years of service with the United States Marine Corps (1953-1973). He was also retired from the parts department of Franklin Equipment Co., and was the former owner of Gray's Bait and Tackle of Franklin. Survivors include his wife, Patsie P. Gray; two daughters, Valerie Gray and Annie Parker, both of Virginia Beach; two sons, V. Ashby Gray III of Henderson, N.C., and Randy Parker, serving in the U.S. Navy stationed in Norfolk; two sisters, Jean Leggett of Suffolk and Joy Gray of Fayetteville, Pa.; a brother, Mickey Gray of Franklin; and two grandchildren, Katy Lankford of Virginia Beach and Taylor Gray of Atlanta. A funeral will be conducted at 2 p.m. Wednesday in Sunbeam Baptist Church by the Rev. John Watson and the Rev. Kenneth Williams. Burial with full military honors will be in Poplar Spring Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at Wright Funeral Home, Boykins, and suggests that any memorials be made to Sunbeam Baptist Church, c/o Diane Dunlow, 31715 Monroe Road, Franklin, VA 23851, or to the American Diabetes Association, 1290 Seminole Trail, Suite 2, Charlottesville, VA 22901. Edition: FINAL Section: LOCAL Page: B9 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ––– Narrative Summary of the Obituary ––– Vernie Ashby Gray Jr., 66, of Franklin, died 19 Feb 2000. He was a retired U.S. Marine Corps master gunnery sergeant and former owner of Gray's Bait and Tackle. Funeral was held 23 Feb 2000 at Sunbeam Baptist Church, officiated by Rev. John Watson and Rev. Kenneth Williams. Burial with full military honors was in Poplar Spring Cemetery. ––– Transcript ––– VERNIE ASHBY GRAY JR. Vernie Ashby Gray Jr., 66, of Monroe Road, died 19 February 2000. A native of Franklin, he was a son of the late Vernie and Bessie Powell Gray. Mr. Gray was retired as a master gunnery sergeant after 20 years of service with the United States Marine Corps (1953–1973). He was also retired from the parts department of Franklin Equipment Co., and was the former owner of Gray's Bait and Tackle of Franklin. Survivors include his wife, Patsie P. Gray; two daughters, Valerie Gray and Annie Parker, both of Virginia Beach; two sons, V. Ashby Gray III of Henderson, N.C., and Randy Parker, serving in the U.S. Navy stationed in Norfolk; two sisters, Jean Leggett of Suffolk and Joy Gray of Fayetteville, Pa.; a brother, Mickey Gray of Franklin; and two grandchildren, Katy Lankford of Virginia Beach and Taylor Gray of Atlanta. A funeral was conducted at 2 p.m. Wednesday [23 February 2000] in Sunbeam Baptist Church by the Rev. John Watson and the Rev. Kenneth Williams. Burial with full military honors was in Poplar Spring Cemetery. The family received friends from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday [22 February 2000] at Wright Funeral Home, Boykins, and suggested that any memorials be made to Sunbeam Baptist Church, c/o Diane Dunlow, 31715 Monroe Road, Franklin, VA 23851, or to the American Diabetes Association, 1290 Seminole Trail, Suite 2, Charlottesville, VA 22901. ––– Vital Statistics ––– |----------------------------------------------| | Field | Value | | Name | Vernie Ashby Gray Jr. | | Age | 66 | | Birth | 1933 (estimated); Franklin, Virginia | | Death | 19 February 2000; Franklin, Virginia | |----------------------------------------------| ––– Table of Relationships ––– |---------------------------------------------------------------| | Name | Relationship | Residence | | Vernie Ashby Gray Jr. | Decedent | Monroe Road, Franklin | | Patsie P. Gray | Wife | — | | Valerie Gray | Daughter | Virginia Beach | | Annie Parker | Daughter | Virginia Beach | | V. Ashby Gray III | Son | Henderson, N.C. | | Randy Parker | Son | Norfolk (U.S. Navy) | | Jean Leggett | Sister | Suffolk | | Joy Gray | Sister | Fayetteville, Pa. | | Mickey Gray | Brother | Franklin | | Katy Lankford | Granddaughter | Virginia Beach | | Taylor Gray | Grandson | Atlanta | |---------------------------------------------------------------| ––– Publication Details ––– |--------------------------------| | Field | Value | | Location | Norfolk, Virginia | | Name | The Virginian-Pilot | | Date | 21 February 2000 | | Edition | Final | | Section | Local | | Page | B9 | |--------------------------------| ––– Other Relevant Information ––– • Retired U.S. Marine Corps master gunnery sergeant (1953–1973) • Retired from Franklin Equipment Co. parts department • Former owner of Gray’s Bait and Tackle of Franklin • Spouse's birth name was Patsie P. 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