Obituary of James King Gray, Jr.

(Please scroll to the bottom for more details. This page is being continually updated) Jim was born February 15, 1934, the son of Dr. James K. Gray and Dalene Rogers Gray, in Marion, Virginia. He attended Mercersburg Academy and graduated from Thurmont (MD) High School. He later graduated from Shenandoah College and attended the University of Maryland when he was called to service in the U.S. Army. He served as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division and in the Maryland Reserve. In 1959 he married Shirley Vinkle of Galesburg, IL who survives. During their 60 years of marriage Jim worked for Pan Am Airways in Washington, D.C. as a telecommunications supervisor and at one point, was tasked with sending the first ground-to-air document transmission, a process that eventually became what is known as a "fax." He was also a passenger on the maiden flight of Pan Am's 747 from D.C. to London. After 27 years with Pan Am he went on to work for Euro Motor Cars in Bethesda, MD before retiring. Shortly after retiring, he and Shirley moved to Bellefonte, PA. Jim had many interests including national parks, movies, playing the piano and organ, and everything automotive exemplified in several trips to the Indianapolis 500. During his early days he spent two summers as a Seasonal Park Ranger in Sequoia, and then Yellowstone. In Yellowstone he participated as an "extra" in the movie Far Horizons, directed by Cecil B. DeMille, staring Charlton Heston, Donna Reed, Fred McMurray, & William Demarest. Jim also was a member of many fraternal organizations including the Knight's Templar Commandery in Rockville, MD and the General Smallwood chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution in Bethesda, MD. He served as Chaplin in the Masonic Lodge, Kensington, MD and was a ruling elder and trustee in the Warner Memorial Presbyterian Church in Kensington, MD. In addition to his loving wife, Shirley, Jim is survived by the daughter he dearly loved, Jennifer Jacobs of Bellefonte, PA and her husband, Rick as well as their three children, their spouses, and eight great grandchildren. Jim also leaves behind two sisters, Nancy Waller (Baltimore, MD) and Sarah along with her husband Lou Tateosian (York, PA), numerous nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews. Jim passed away peacefully at the Village at Penn State where the staff took great care of him and were dedicated to his well-being. Jim was an incredibly kind man with a gentle soul and warm heart. He will be missed by all. Information regarding memorial contributions will be available shortly. Arrangements are under the care of Koch Funeral Home, State College. Online condolences and signing of the guest book may be entered at www.kochfuneralhome.com. Dear Friends and Family Jim’s passing has come at an extraordinary time in our nation and the world. We have made arrangements in the context of these times. Jim’s wishes were to be buried in the Gray Family Plot at Union Cemetery in Leesburg, VA. He will be laid to rest there on Tuesday, April 21st, 2020, in a plot next to his beloved mother. Current conditions make it unadvisable for us to attend, however we are greatly comforted that his brothers in the Knights Templar of Maryland and the Masonic Lodge of Kensigton, Maryland will be sending a contingency to Virginia to perform the appropriate blessings and rituals of their craft to send Jim on his way. We hope that this summer, travel permitting, we will be able to hold a graveside service to further honor his memory. Your love and support for his family are all that Jim would have wanted.... but if you would like to make a donation in his memory, we have selected two organizations that Jim has supported constantly and faithfully over the years. The Thurmont High School Alumni Scholarship Fund On-Line: www.FrederickCountyGives.org/ThurmontAlumni There will be a tribute form at the bottom of the checkout page to specify in honor of James King Gray, Jr. Checks may be mailed to The Community Foundation of Frederick County, 312 East Church Street, Frederick, MD 21701 with “James Gray memorial” noted in the check’s memo line. The Kensington-Bethesda Masonic Lodge No. 198 Checks may be mailed to Kensington-Bethesda Lodge No. 198, 4315 Howard Avenue, Kensington, MD 20895 with “James Gray memorial” noted in the check’s memo line. Either organization would be greatly appreciative of your support in Jim’s name. From our hearts to yours, thank you for your love and support.