Kalas Funeral Home & Crematory

Junius Wade Gray, Jr fell asleep in death suddenly on Monday, May 13, 2019 at Fort Washington Hospital Center.  Junius was born on October 15, 1926 in King William County, Virginia to Junius Wade Gray, Sr and Dorothy Williams Gray.  He was the eldest of four children. His siblings were Dorothy Mae, Everett and Lloyd Gray.  After finishing high school, he was drafted into the U.S. Army.  While home on leave, he was pleasantly surprised to discover that his parents were housing a student teacher, Verna King, from Hanover County, Virginia.  He was smitten and after a brief courtship, they married upon his discharge from the army and remained married for 71 years.  He often spoke of how happy he was, as a “country boy”, to have met and married a beautiful young school teacher.  They settled down in Hanover County where they built together their first home from the foundation up.  From this union came two sons, Charles Wade Gray and W. Francell Gray, and one daughter, Rita Gray Archer.  After the family moved to Washington, D.C., and after a brief stint as a foreman with UPS, he proudly opened his own business, Gray’s Automotive Repairs, originally in upper Northwest DC, and later in downtown DC.  In a story covered by the local NBC television station, Gray’s Automotive was named the top auto repair shop in the DC metropolitan area by Washington Checkbook magazine.  He retired in 1988 and in that same year, he and his wife moved to Fort Washington, Maryland.  Never one to sit around, having the philosophy “if you don’t use it, you lose it”, he remained very active in various pursuits including finishing the basement of their new home, building room additions, decks, roofs, etc. for neighbors’ homes, and providing lawn care services.  Because of his industrious nature and presence in the community, he was well known, respected and admired by many.  He and his wife enjoyed traveling and camping.  Having led a full life, he often expressed the sentiment that he “enjoyed the ride“ and that he had “absolutely had no regrets”.

Junius is survived by his son W. Francell Gray; daughter Rita Gray Archer, and daughter-in law Rosalind M. Gray; grandchildren: Tracy Gray Tyler (Danny); Philip Wade Gray (Andrea); Erika R. Archer; Lauren K. Archer; Laura L. Green (Quinton); and great-grandchildren Aaron and Madison Hall, Miles Wade Gray and Dakota Franks.  He was preceded in death by his wife, Dr. Verna K Gray; son Charles Wade Gray; mother Dorothy Williams Gray; father Junius Wade Gray, Sr; sister Dorothy Mae Gray; brothers, Lloyd and Everett Gray; and son, Charles Wade Gray.  

Relatives and friends are invited to Mr. Gray’s Life Celebration on Monday, May 20, 2019 from 11:00 a.m. until the time of service, 12:00 noon at Kalas Funeral Home & Crematory, 6160 Oxon Hill Road, Oxon Hill, Maryland 20745.  Interment private at a later date. 

 

Junius Wade Gray

Junius Wade Gray

Junius Gray Services

No public services planned at this time