Gray, Donald F.

Description

Donald Franklin Gray was born on November 30, 1910, in Cleveland, Ohio to Clara Isabel Van Vechten, age 29, and Franklin Justus Gray, age 28. His family moved to New Jersey and then to Massachusetts where he graduated from the Springfield High School of Commerce in 1929. He then graduated from Springfield College and Columbia University.

He married Laura Marion Branley on July 12, 1930, in Putnam, New York. They had two children during their marriage. In Rye he was a social studies teacher at the high school and his family lived at 23 Oakwood Ave.

Donald served as an officer in the U.S. Navy during World War II.

Rye Public Schools Open Wednesday

Everything is in readiness tor the
opening of the fall term in Rye public
schools on Wednesday. High School
pupils report at 8:30 a. in., Rye School
at nine and Milton School at 8:50.
Several faculty changes are announced at the High School.
Donald
Gray
, formerly teacher of social
studies, has entered the Navy and his
place will be taken by Miss Louise
Day of Kennebunk, Me. J. Edward
Reynolds, former mechanical drawing
instructor, has joined the Red Cross
and will be replaced by J. Howard
Kalk, of Taberg, N. Y

RYE, NEW YORK FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1943

After serving overseas for ten months and the dissolvement of his first marriage, Donald remarried Phyllis Barbara Purcell on February 21, 1945 in Cambridge, MA. and they would have two children.

Donald had helped his father run Mitigwa Camps for Boys on Dodge Pond, ME for 25 years. Camp Mitigwa in Rangeley, Maine, opened in 1919 and closed for good in 1972.
For decades, Mitigwa was a traditional boys’ camp with sports, hiking, canoeing, tug-o-wars, archery, riflery, sailing, arts and crafts, baseball and all the normal stuff.

After they sold the camp in 1947 Donald worked for the Gilbarco Co. in Greensboro, N.C. for 25 years.

Donald Franklin Gray died on August 16, 1991, in Rangeley, Maine, at the age of 80.

At the time of his death, he was survived by his wife Phyllis of Rangeley; a son, Douglas F. Gray of North Homestead, Ohio; three daughters,, Mrs. Carole Melville, of Holley, N.Y., Mrs. Deborah Howes of Centerville, Mass., and Mrs. Linda Smidt of Marblehead, Mass.; a sister, Mrs.
Jane Fisher of Canandaigua, N.Y.; eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.