Floyd W. Gray

Floyd Wayne Gray of Corvallis was born on July 22, 1925, in Thatcher, Idaho, to Clark P. Gray and Lila Mae (Campbell) Gray. Floyd died on July 7, 2013, in Corvallis. Floyd was the 13th of his parents’ 14 children. He lived on his family’s Idaho ranch, where they raised cattle and horses. He and his brothers and sisters all worked putting up hay and caring for the livestock. He attended school in Thatcher, Idaho, graduating from Thatcher High School in April 1943. For a few years Floyd worked exercising race horses at racetracks with two of his older brothers who were jockeys, Alan Gray and Ellis Gray. Floyd left Idaho to work delivering milk in Montana, where he met Caroline Katherine Fettig. They married on Oct. 2, 1948, in Seattle, Wash. They lived in Renton, Wash., where Floyd worked for Boeing Aircraft. While in Renton, Floyd and Carol had two children, Dennis Wayne Gray and Denise Carol Gray. Floyd and his family moved to Sacramento, Calif., to work on a cattle ranch where he and Carol had their third child, David Bryan Gray. From Sacramento, Floyd and his family moved to Corvallis, where he lived and worked on Oregon State University’s Berry Creek Ranch. Then he moved to OSU’s Soap Creek Ranch, again caring for cattle, and subsequently worked at the OSU Farm Service Department, from which he retired. He involved all three children in 4-H cattle events, coached his sons in baseball, and taught them to fish and hunt. Floyd and Carol enjoyed square dancing and league bowling in Independence. Floyd was an active member of the Corvallis Horseshoe Pitching Club, competing around Oregon, and winning numerous trophies and titles in both singles and double tournaments. He was a member of the Corvallis Elks Lodge and the Albany Eagles Lodge, where he enjoyed playing pool and dancing to country music. Floyd was preceded in death by his daughter, Denise Gray; his wife, Carol Gray; his sisters, Sara Gray, Ethel Knapp, Elma Bennett, Fonette Porter, Helen Tingy and Lavon Westover; and his brothers, Paul Gray, Bruce Gray, Lavar Gray, Alan Gray and Ellis Gray. Floyd is survived by his son Dennis Gray and daughter-in-law Jeriann Gray; son David Gray and daughter-in-law Susan Gray; grandson Casey Gray and his wife, Anna Gray; granddaughter Carrie Carson and her husband, Josh Carson; grandson Bryan Gray; grandson Brett Gray; and sister Carol Dillon. A funeral service will take place at 2 p.m. July 19 at The Gathering Church, 5050 N.E. Elliott Circle, Corvallis.

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Floyd W. Gray

July 22, 1925 - July 7, 2013