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In Memory

Richard William Gray - Class Of 1947 VIEW PROFILE

Richard William Gray

      

Richard William Gray
Aug. 3. 1927 - Jul. 13, 2011

SOUTH BEND - Richard William Gray, age 83, of South Bend, Indiana passed away on Wednesday, July 13, 2011, after a brief illness.

On August 3, 1927 Richard was born in Granger, Indiana, the son of the late William and Sophie (Pazder) Gray. At 17, Richard's father helped him enlist in the Navy. On the USS Rawlins, Seaman 2nd Class Gray sailed to Guam, where he served as a baker for 2 years.
Upon his honorable discharge in 1946 he returned to finish high school at Washington-Clay in South Bend, where he met is future wife Jeanette Grabowski. Richard and Jean were married at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in South Bend on September 2, 1950.

In 1957, after becoming a member of the Carpenters Local 413 Union, Richard began work for the South Bend Community School Corporation, first as a maintenance man, then as a carpenter foreman and locksmith for all schools and libraries. After retiring in 1990, Richard and Jean spent the next nine years traveling the country building churches for Laborers For Christ. Throughout his lifetime Richard donated 130 units of blood to the American Red Cross.

Richard was an avid member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in South Bend. Having never met a stranger, Richard could talk to and make friends with anyone. He touched many lives with the stories of his work and volunteer experience. An ornery practical jokester, Grandpa Gray was always armed with a funny joke or a handful of pennies to leave for friends to find. Richard will be missed by his wife, Jeanette; two children, Ronald (Roberta) Gray of Aviston, IL and Julie Perkins of Battleboro, VT; five grandchildren Jessica (Aaron) Csaszar-Bertman of South Bend, Joseph Csaszar III of Los Angeles, CA, Jacqulyn Csaszar of West Lafayette, Rebekah (Jason) Gray-Long of Webb City, MO, and Robert Gray of Shippensburg, PA; two great-grandchildren Kalina Bertman and Jace Long; sisters Thelma Kepler of South Bend and Betty Gray of Granger; sister-in-law Marilyn Gray of Granger; and several nieces and nephews. Including his parents, Richard is preceded in death by his brother Robert Gray.

Visitation will be held on Sunday, July 17 from 4 - 8pm at Welsheimer Family Funeral Home North, 17033 Cleveland Road, South Bend. Funeral Service will be held at St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 51490 Laurel Rd (the corner of Auten and Laurel) on Monday, July 18 at 11am, with a visitation one hour prior to the service. Memorial contributions may be made to the Dale Timm Scholarship at the Resurrection Lutheran Academy, 6840 Nimtz Parkway, South Bend, IN 46628 or to Milton Adult Day Service, 922 E. Colfax Ave, South Bend, IN 46617.

Family and friends may leave e-mail condolences at www.welsheimer.com.

Published in South Bend Tribune on July 16, 2011

 

08/21/2022 DEC

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