Dr. William (Bill) Gray passed away peacefully at Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on Saturday December 28, 2024 at the age of 81. A celebration of life will be held in Bill's honor on Thursday, January 2, at 10:30 a.m., at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Officiating the service will be Don Hansen, and a graveside committal will immediately follow at Fairlawn Cemetery. Public visitation will begin on Wednesday evening, January 1st where the family will be available at Strode Funeral Home to greet guests from 5-7:00 p.m. Strode Funeral Home and Cremation is in charge of the arrangements.


Bill was born on June 11, 1943, to Fenton Gray and Evlyn Snow Gray in the vibrant city of Springfield, Ohio. That beautiful late spring day in 1943 marked the arrival of someone who would truly make the world a brighter and happier place. To know Bill was to experience the purest kind of love, and to be loved by him was an extraordinary gift. He was one of a kind, talking like long lost friends to anyone he met. He had a habit of lighting up every room and every moment with his sense of humor and charm. Bill's heart was as big as his infectious personality-he had an incredible way of making strangers feel like family. His empathy, comforting nature, and boundless humor that brought smile and laughter were just a few of the remarkable qualities that defined him.


At the age of seven Bill's parents and brother Mike and Stephen moved to Stillwater, Oklahoma where his father Fenton became a professor at Oklahoma A&M. They fell in love with the college town as it had an actual Latter-Day Saint chapel for them to attend church making Mother Evlyn overwhelmed with joy that they no longer had to drive 50 miles to the nearest congregation of Saints.


Bill and his brothers loved to play baseball. On several occasions we were told that Bill's older brother Mike was very persuasive talking Bill into retrieving foul balls from the roof of their three-story apartment! Through the years there were many stories involving Halloween masks, BB Guns, and "All-Star Baseball" board game. It was also in Stillwater where the young Gray family grew with the birth of brother Philip and baby sister Marilyn.


In 1957, a 14-year-old Bill prayed that God would provide him with a good beautiful girl he would be able to date. Fortunately, the good Lord delivered, and two weeks after Linda Joyce moved two blocks away at 1005 Kings Highway in Stillwater. A few days later Bill called to asked her on their very first date to the movies. Later that night, Linda wrote in her journal, "Of course, I said yes! I began to jump around my room with excitement yelling, Bill Gray asked me out!!" As Linda's family moved from Pryor to Stillwater, Oklahoma little did anyone realize this could have been the most important family relocation that lead to one of the greatest love stories ever told.


From that moment, the couple was inseparable. Bill has always been convinced he prayed her to Stillwater, and there is really no denying that. Although the couple was too young to drive themselves on dates, they were more than thrilled to walk back and forth on their two-block path of love, and shamelessly have their parents drive them on their dates for the next two years.


Bill had many athletic and academic accomplishments during his teenage years. He lettered in numerous sports including Football, Baseball and Basketball. He was a member of S Club, and believe it or not was voted by his peers having the "best physique" in his senior class. At various times in high school Bill was a Student Council Representative, and part of the National and State Honor Societies. He graduated from Stillwater High School in May of 1961 with Linda by his side.


During this time, Bill really enjoyed going to church with Linda and his family on Sundays. After four years, when she turned eighteen years old, Linda asked Bill if he would baptize her into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints of which he gladly did. She immediately became a dedicated member of the church and a selfless servant of her savior, Jesus Christ.


After high school, Bill and Linda would attend Oklahoma State University where Linda joined the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, and Bill pledged Sigma Nu. Their days as Greek pledges were not meant to be as at the end of their freshmen year, Bill asked Linda to marry him and she happily accepted. They married in Stillwater at Bennett Chapel on August 27th, 1962, both at the age of 19. Shortly after, they were sealed for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake City LDS Temple. They recently celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary. From that very first date at 14 years of age, and for the following 63 years, they never broke up and loved each other unconditionally.


After attending Oklahoma State University, they moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where Bill attended dental school at the University of Tennessee Dental School. Linda worked as a secretary at the National Cotton Council of America to help put Bill through school. During that time in Memphis, Linda gave birth to their oldest son Scott in 1966. Linda was over the moon to be a first-time mother.


After dental school, Bill enlisted in the service, and in January 1968 as a Captain in the U.S. Army, Bill received orders for Vietnam as a medical dentist. Just four months into his service overseas, Linda returned home to Stillwater and gave birth to their very first daughter Keli, in May of 1968. Bill was thrilled to be a father once again and couldn't believe they now had a perfect baby girl as the newest member of their growing Gray clan. His young wife Linda had lots of help from her Mother Velma during this time, and after ten long months Bill was finally able to meet Keli for the very time.

After Bill returned from Vietnam, he opened his first private dental practice on Washington Street in Stillwater and their loving family continued to grow. Linda gave birth to their third child, a beautiful boy they named Jeff, in 1971. Eight short years later, they had a special surprise when their youngest daughter Lyndsee who was born in 1979. The unconditional love Bill and Linda had for her children and family was second to none.


Even as his family grew, Bill continued his service to his community as a member of Kiwanis Club. Bill loved flying and in the early 70s he studied and received his private pilot license taking his young family on private plane trips all over the state and Texas. He once decided it would be a great idea to take the family on a trip to visit his brothers Mike and Steve who were living in California. Bill likely did not consider flying obstacles for a young inexperienced pilot that would be faced on this journey with blankets of smog in and around Southern California as well as flying over the Rocky Mountain of New Mexico. And unlike car road trips it was very challenging negotiating bathroom stops! Needless to say, such experiences created lasting memories for all involved.


He was also a proud parent volunteer at YMCA Indian Guides and also served as a Cub Scout leader with his sons. Bill's church service included time in the bishopric, high council, young men's organization as well Bishop of the Stillwater Ward from 1984 to 1987.


As their children began to grow and marry, Linda and Bill were blessed with ten grandchildren. Bill's greatest joy in life was being their 'Papa'! He loved and adored each one of his grandchildren, and the time he was able to spend with them. He embraced technology as well as the good finding joy and connection to his family over group texts and social media apps. While we are not sure he really knew what he was doing, he did manage to respond to almost every photo or updat ever posted on Facebook! His face would light up when he spent time with his grandchildren. He made every effort to know what was going on in his family's lives.


Bill was also elated to finally be a great-grandfather with the birth of Violet on November 12th, 2024 and was so looking forward to meeting her, documenting four generations of Grays, prior to his passing. Family and friends were the most important things in the world to him. He loved to meet new people so he could share his stories and views on a variety of topics from religion, sports, politics, and of course his family.


Bill is preceded in death by his father, Fenton Gray, mother, Evlyn Snow Gray and his wife, Linda Joyce.


He is survived by his brothers and sister. Mike Gray and his wife Carolyn, Steve Gray and family, Philip and his wife Vicki, Marilyn Spencer and her husband Ron; his four children. Scott Gray & his wife Heather, Keli Moon & her husband Keith, Jeff Gray, and Lyndsee Hargett & her husband Chris, and his ten grandchildren, Mallory, Mason, Mikenzie, Hunter, Hannah, Hayden, Hope, Logan, Aldyn, Austyn, and one great grandchild, Violet.

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In a beautiful blue lagoon on a clear day, a fine sailing-ship spreads its brilliant white canvas in a fresh morning breeze and sails out to the open sea. We watch it glide away magnificently through the deep blue and gradually see her grow smaller as it nears the horizon. Finally, where the sea and the sky meet, it slips silently from sight; and someone near me says, "There, it is gone!" Gone where? Gone from sight- that is all. It is still as large in mast and hull and sail, still just as able to bear his load. And we can be sure that, just as we say, "There, he is gone!" another say, "There, HE COMES!"


We love you, Papa! As you would say, "Yay, yay, and life is good!" until we meet again...