William E. Gray Jr.

William (Bill) E. Gray Jr, 85, of Beaver, passed away May 15, 2022, at Good Samaritan Hospice, Beaver after a lengthy illness.  He was born March 6, 1937, in Kittanning, PA., the son of the late William and Beatrice (Quinn) Gray, Sr.  Bill lived most of his life in New Brighton with his wife and five children.  He was a man of deep faith and an active member of Life Family Church.  Bill graduated from New Brighton High School and was a US Army veteran.  He enjoyed playing fast pitch softball with friends, coaching Little League baseball as a young dad (New Brighton Fire Company #3) and umpiring New Brighton Little League and girls’ softball.  He was a lifelong hunter and gardener who took great pride in the juicy tomatoes he shared with family and friends.  He also enjoyed the joy and laughter which came from spending time with his grandchildren and great grandchildren.  Bill was a member of USW Local 8183 and was employed by St. Joe Minerals and the Zinc Corporation of America for over thirty years.  In his “retirement”, he proudly was employed as a security guard at Geneva College.  He will be sadly missed by family and friends and all those whose lives he touched.

Bill is survived by his devoted wife of sixty-five years, Nancy L. (Hoffman) Gray.  Also surviving are five children and their spouses, Bill (Andrea) Gray, III, Chippewa, PA; Cindy (John) Petures, Stow, OH; Jonathan Gray (John Giardina), Rancho Mirage, CA; Betsy (Kenny) Schwartz, Wampum, PA; and Faith (Kent) Miller, Apple Creek, OH; ten grandchildren, Anthony (Jess) Gray, Jenna (Mike) Yeager, Nicholas (Nicole) Gray, Stephen Petures, Ashlee (Tony) Sands, Brittany Petures (Doug Doren), Krista (Ray) Peace, Samantha Schwartz (Drew DeVinney) and Shaleigh and Grayson Miller.  He is also blessed to have seven great-grandchildren: Rylee, Emily June, Kaden, Avery, Ella, Maddie Bee and Madison, with an additional two great-grandchildren on the way.

He is survived by a brother Michael (Jacque) Gray and sister Bobbi Jo (Rick) Lapishka, brother-in-law, Robert Pflugh and aunt, Mary Ellen Chop.  He has numerous nieces, nephews and cousins. Bill was preceded in death by his sisters, Charlotte Pflugh and Ginny McCanna, brother-in-law, Bill McCanna and his mother & father-in-law James & Louise Hoffman.

Friends will be received Wednesday, May 18 from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. at J & J Spratt Funeral Home, 1612 3rd Ave., New Brighton, PA.  A memorial service will be offered on Thursday, May 19 at 10 a.m. at the funeral home.  Interment will follow at the chapel at Sylvania Hills Memorial Park, 273 PA-68, Rochester, PA.

Members of the Beaver County Special Unit are asked to meet at the cemetery at 10:30am, to conduct military honors.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Bill’s honor to New Brighton Youth Baseball and Softball, PO Box 366, New Brighton, PA, 15066.

The family would like to extend their gratitude to Dr. Ferri and staff (UPMC Cancer Center), Emerald Home Health (Lori, Nicole and Kayla) and Good Samaritan Hospice.

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