Andrea C. Gray's Obituary
Andrea was born on January 30th, 1947 in Peoria, Illinois to Betty Lee Patton and Carl Schmidt. She spent her early years in central Illinois while her father served during WWII. After her parents separated when she was very young, Betty married Bernard Weiner in Gary, Indiana when she was 4. He adopted her and became her one and only Dad. She attended Indiana University and graduated in 1968 with a degree in English, and met the love of her life, James Gray. Jim was from Garden City, New York and was attending Indiana University pursuing his Masters degree in economics. After a few months of dating, they knew it was love. On August 12th, 1967, they had a small wedding ceremony at a local park in Bloomington, officiated by a JP in a flannel shirt and suspenders, where they began their life journey together.
As the Vietnam War progressed, Jim made the decision to enlist in the Air Force. They headed to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio where Jim served as a computer engineer. On April 15, 1969, they welcomed their first son, Dane Matthew Gray into their lives. In July of 1972, they departed San Antonio and started their new life in North Dallas where Jim began his career as a computer engineer. On August 30, 1972, their second son, Christopher George Gray, joined the family. Andrea loved being a Mom
and was very involved in helping organize her neighborhood babysitting club, and was very active in the garden club during that time. She had a strong group of neighborhood friends and she and Jim enjoyed socializing.
In 1977, they moved to Richardson. Shortly thereafter, Andrea obtained her real estate license and joined the Ebby Halliday family. She was an over achiever and was regularly recognized as a Top Producer for almost 40 years. In 2003, her youngest son, Christopher, joined the business and developed a partnership that lasted until early 2020, when she retired. In addition to becoming a Realtor, the early years in Richardson established her journey to becoming a Christian. Andrea was raised Jewish and spent time in the Unitarian Church. She became a Christian in 1981, joining First Presbyterian Church of Richardson on May 12th and was baptized on August 9th when she was 35. She was ordained as an elder on January 4th, 1987, and served 3 terms: class of 1989, 1999 and 2018. She chaired the Capital Campaign and served on multiple committees including worship and missions. Andrea and Jim served as youth group sponsors and enjoyed nurturing young adults as their faith grew.
On November 6th, 1999, Dane married Melanie Filar. Five years later, on October 6, 2004, Marissa Dane Gray was born. Andrea took special pride in being a Grandma. From the day Marissa was born, she embarked on regular trips to College Station to
visit Marissa and created the special bond they share to this day. In June of 2017,Andrea and Marissa took an unforgettable trip to New York, Washington D.C. and Virginia. They went to Long Island and spent time in Jim’s childhood church and learned about the Gray family history. In Washington D.C., they visited the White House, the Library of Congress, the Senate Chambers, the Supreme Court and the Capitol Building. Marissa was always Andrea’s biggest pride and joy.
On September 11, 2011, Andrea lost the her soul mate and the love of her life. She was devastated. She took time to grieve, and a few years later became actively involved in and eventually played a leadership role in the Faith and Grief community group.
Andrea loved to travel the world. Her trips included The Holy Land, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, France, The Swiss Alps, Russia and Europe, just to name a few. She enjoyed learning, the arts, theater, symphony, book groups and many other activities. She loved skiing with Jim and their trips to Hawaii. After Jim died, Andrea continued her travels with her sister Robin and many friends to different countries around the world.
On October 14th, 2019, Andrea was diagnosed with Glioblastoma and began her fight against cancer. She valiantly fought and continued her ministry even throughout her battle. She handed out pennies with crosses carved out in the middle to everyone she encountered during her treatment saying, “seed of “grace” and “God bless”. She endured radiation, chemo and months of transfusions, all with grace, never complaining and complying with all that was asked of her. Her battle ended on August 3rd, 2020.
Most of all, Andrea was a caring person and a dear friend. She was a card warrior, consistently sending notes of encouragement to friends in need. She loved cooking and sharing food with others. She enjoyed sharing the love of Christ with friends and family though social gatherings and annual parties. She loved to entertain and enjoyed every ounce of life.
Andrea’s legacy of love and faith will live on. She is survived by her son Dane Matthew Gray, wife Melanie Gray and granddaughter Marissa Gray, son Christopher George Gray, sister Robin Smith and her husband Dale Smith, nieces Heather Anderson and her husband Jim, Sarah Smith and great niece Brianna Henry and many loving friends, cousins and extended family.
In lieu flowers, donations can be made to the Andrea Gray Memorial Fund at First Presbyterian Church Richardson. First Presbyterian Church, PO Box 831985, Richardson, TX 75083
What’s your fondest memory of Andrea?
What’s a lesson you learned from Andrea?
Share a story where Andrea's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Andrea you’ll never forget.
How did Andrea make you smile?