Ralph Eugene Gray

Ralph Eugene Gray, 86 of Concord passed away surrounded by his devoted daughters on December 6, 2019, at the NC State Veterans Home in Salisbury, NC after a period of declining health.

Funeral services will be held 11am Monday, December 9, at Boger Reformed Church, 7313 Gold Hill Rd., Concord NC 28025, with Rev. Todd Davis officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. Military graveside rites provided by the Cabarrus County Veterans Honor Guard. The Gray family will receive friends from 4-6pm Sunday, December 8, at Gordon Funeral Home of Mt. Pleasant. At other times the family will be at the home of his daughter Melanie Turner.

Ralph was born May 29, 1933 to the late Reckard & Bessie Pless Gray.  His precious wife of 62 years, Miriam Goodman Gray, passed in January 2019.  He is also predeceased by his 2 brothers, Frank Gray and Earl Gray and son-in-law, Milton Turner.

He graduated from Mt. Pleasant High School in 1952 and served his country as a member of the Army’s Chemical Core from 1954-1956.  He graduated from Central Piedmont Community College in 1969 with a degree in Electronics Engineering Technology.  Beginning his work in the electronics field, he worked for Cooper D. Cass, Lanier, 3M, and Muzak.  He installed the nurse calls at University Hospital in Charlotte when it was first built and piped in the background music for the streets of Cannon Village in Kannapolis.  Upon retirement, he worked for K-Town Furniture in maintenance.

He was a long-time member of Boger Reformed Church at Watts Crossroads in Concord where he was active as Elder Emeritus, the Men’s Brotherhood, sang in the choir, was the youth group leader jointly with Miriam for many years, served on the church council and various other church committees.  He could often be found helping with the Friday Hotdog sales or manning a BBQ cooker for the Lord’s Acre Sale.  If he found out that you didn’t have a church home, he was always inviting those to church to experience the love of God and the joy of a church family. 

Whether it was buying a meal for a needy family, sponsoring an underprivileged child for church camp, or organizing a charity Bike-A-Thon to raise funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, he was always willing to lend a helping hand. 

In his spare time, he enjoyed camping, gardening, church activities, and going to the beach and mountains.

He is survived by his 2 daughters, Melanie Gray Turner, and Gina Gray Coleman (Trent) both of Concord; grandchildren, Chris Turner, Anita Turner, Jordan Safrit, Loren Coleman, and Chandler Coleman; great granddaughters, Alyssa, Katie, & Oaklyn Safrit; brother-in-law, Carl Goodman (Brenda); sisters-in-law Geneva Gray, Margie Gray and Frances Goodman; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Memorials in Ralph’s honor may be made to Boger Reformed Church, 7313 Gold Hill Rd, Concord NC 28025.