Joseph Laurence Gray, age 100, passed away peacefully on June 17, 2023.
Joe was the second oldest of six children, born on August 27, 1922 to Joseph Herman Gray and Laura Ellen (Gallagher) Gray at Sister’s Hospital in St. Joseph, Missouri. He married Anne Mason Reed, his wife of 66 years, on April 12, 1947.
Together Joe and Anne had eight children: Susan Mastio (Richard) of Carmel California, Reed Gray of Eugene, Oregon, JoAnne Grey (Martin) of St. Joseph, Laura Dunn (R.G.) of Liberty, Missouri, Paul Gray of Lorida, Florida, Mark Gray (Cathy) of Blue Eye, Missouri, Matthew Gray of Columbia, Missouri, and Peter Gray (Staci) of St. Joseph. They were also blessed with 11 grandchildren, 8 great grandchildren, and many beloved nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Joe was preceded in death by his wife Anne in 2014, his son Mark, his parents, siblings Paul, Jerry (Ruth), Patricia, and Mary Agnes McGann, and his daughter-in-law Laurie Gray. He is survived by his remaining seven children, and his sister Virginia Grimm (Lou) of Saint Louis, MO.
Joe attended Christian Brothers High School. He worked his way through college and graduated from the first aeronautical engineering class at University of Kansas in 1944. Joining the United States Navy he was sent to Johns Hopkins University for his Masters work in Engineering. Following this Joe went to work for General Toftoy at the Bureau of Ordinance in Annapolis, Maryland. While in the navy, he was assigned to the development of rockets and air-breathing jet propulsion guided missiles in the Mojave desert. He was always tickled that he served in the navy but was never on a ship, in fact he was in the desert most of the time. He thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of his work, having worked alongside the likes of Werner von Braun.
Though he loved the science of rocket propulsion, the implications of war time use made Joe consider returning to Missouri. So in 1952 Joe decided to come back to St. Joseph and join his father in business. His Dad had been a tire dealer for many years and was a mechanically inclined tinkerer with several patents to his name. He realized that there was no good way to lift a vehicle for tire service and he had some good ideas and concepts he had developed. His Dad realized that he needed some help and some engineering expertise to see his vision move forward. Together, Joe and his father designed the BF-100, a pneumatic bumper jack. This was the beginning of Gray Manufacturing Co. Inc., which was incorporated on April 15, 1952. For the next 70 years Joe led and grew a family business that he was always proud of and truly considered to be his family. Even in his final years Joe tried to walk the shop and office floors and talk to every person he could each and every day, telling them what a good job they were doing and always emphasizing the all-important job of taking care of the customer. Gray Manufacturing continues today under fourth generation family leadership and employment. Today Gray has more than 150 products, 250 plus team members, and sells products all over the world.
In 1974 Joe had the opportunity to make a small acquisition of a machine shop in Emporia, Kansas. This was done simply to preserve a critical part of Gray’s supply chain, as its owners were retiring. This ultimately led to the development of a new start up product line in 1986, under the leadership of Roger Craft, of clamping devices that are used in the automotive and aerospace industries. This new venture became a separate company named Vektek, Inc. Like Gray Manufacturing, Vektek quickly became an industry leader.
Joe’s curious mind was always racing with better ways to make, do, and design things. His ideas were not limited to lifts, jacks, and clamps. A couple of “crazy” ideas (as he called them) he had included a faster way to grow catfish for commercial sales, and a pothole filling machine that would take the place of several machines that road crews used at the time. His frustration he experienced when he used products that he did not like led to one of his many humorous sayings, “the engineer that designed this should be shot”.
Joe had an adventurous spirit and loved to travel. When his children were younger there were many family trips to Lake of the Ozarks, and some to Colorado and Padre Island and numerous national parks. As he grew older both he and Anne traveled many of the United States waterways in their boat, the Venture. They also chose some unique destinations centered around eco and adventure tours to include the Galapagos Islands, Antarctica, Eastern Siberia and the Danube River.
Joe also had many hobbies and interests over his lifetime. He had a voracious appetite for reading, often reading four or five books at a time. He loved hunting and fishing with his friends, and later sharing that love with his sons. He enjoyed classical music. And he played handball for many years, playing with a foursome of friends that eventually totaled over 300 years in age combined.
Over the last 30 years of his life Joe began collecting artwork that was displayed throughout the offices in his companies making it a very warm and unique setting for a manufacturing facility. His primary focus was Native American art and history. His collection inspired numerous public exhibits to support many causes and to simply share his unique collection with the local community.
Joe believed that it was important to serve and give back to the community in which he lived and his business operated. He was Chairman of the St. Joseph Area Chamber of Commerce in 1971 and led the 1972 City Annexation Drive. He also served as County Judge in 1992. Some of the organizations that he supported and served over the years include the Symphony Board, the Allied Arts, the Social Welfare Board, the United Way, the Cancer Society, the Food Kitchen, the YMCA, the St. Joseph Boat and Yacht Club, Audubon Society, Missouri Western State University, Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge, the American Guild of Organists, the Community Chorus, The St. Joseph Museums, The Patee House Museum, Robidoux Row, The Military Museum and nearly every arts and museum organization in St. Joe. In 2010, Joe won the Missouri State Philanthropy award in the arts. He supported the Jazz Society, the Performing Arts and annually sponsored the Allied Arts Sculpture projects.
Joe attended First Presbyterian Church in St. Joseph and was an active member in the choir for many years. He and his wife valued education and sponsored numerous MWSU students with scholarships and financial support. He was a strong supporter of Missouri Western State University and received an Honorary Degree in Humane Letters in December 2011.
Joe will be missed by so many. Family, friends, his large extended family at Gray Manufacturing and the entire St. Joseph community.
He was grateful for his blessings, celebrated life and love and often commented on the joy he had in living.
The Gray family would like to thank Judy Ryan for her many years as Joe’s friend, “lunch buddy”, vacation planner, runner of errands and official Gray Executive Assistant. Joe often referred to her as his “other daughter at work”. Special thanks to Martha Long Steins. She provided loving care for Joe for over four years and has a special space within the Gray family hearts. Thanks to Chris Burris and the wonderful staff at Corby Place. They provided excellent care for Joe. Thank you to Joe Freudenthal and the entire staff of Freudenthal Home-Based Healthcare for caring for and keeping Joe comfortable in his final weeks.
Those that knew Joe, knew that he loved to rate everything in his life on a scale of 1 to 10. On a scale of 1 to 10, Joe Gray lived a full and blessed life and it was a perfect 10!!!
In his own words, “Keep up the good work”!!!
Farewell Services and Public Livestream 1:00 P.M. Friday, July 7, First Presbyterian Church. Inurnment Mount Olivet Cemetery at a later date. The family will gather with friends starting at 11:00 A.M.
