Harvey Carlton Gray, Jr. was born October 2, 1928, in Lenox , Georgia to Harvey and Annie Gray. At the time, the family lived in a farmhouse on land passed down since the early 1700s. He was the oldest of five children: Harvey, Leonard, Mary, Marcus, and Allan. Allan passed away the same day as Harvey.
Harvey graduated from Wacona High School in Waycross at the age of 16 before attending Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. High school graduation occurred between V-E (Victory in Europe) and V-J (Victory in Japan) Day at the end of WWII, and he gave a speech on the graduates’ chosen commencement theme, “Education and the People’s Peace.” He met his future wife, Margaret, in 8th grade, and they dated regularly through their senior year before corresponding throughout college. Though they casually dated others, they both knew they would marry each other. During their time apart, they amassed a towering stack of letters they kept the rest of their lives.
Harvey was saved at 16, largely through the witness and testimony of Margaret. Afterwards, he was baptized at First Baptist Church of Waycross.
He attended Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, and graduated with a degree in chemistry. At one point, he told some friends and professors how he made pure aspirin in the university lab. The professors weren’t terribly excited to have an unlicensed student creating pharmaceuticals on campus! While he was at Emory, Margaret was at business college and beginning her career at Merrill-Lynch. Besides exchanging letters with him multiple times a week, she created her own lyrics to the traditional graduation tune “Pomp and Circumstance,” beginning with “I want to see Harvey; I miss him so much…”
After graduating from college, Harvey took a job in Jacksonville, where he saw Margaret almost daily for two years. His career as a chemist began in 1949 at Southern Analytical Laboratory, a company he would come to own twenty years later. In 1966, he established Technical Services, Incorporated (TSI). As an analytical chemist, he analyzed soil, water, and air, as well as anything else that could be analyzed. He spent many weeks each year traveling to locations across the continental US, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, as well as occasionally providing expert witness in court cases. At various points, his eldest daughter Kristen, son-in-law (who met Kristen at TSI), and son all worked for him, making it a family business. He was a wonderful boss and servant leader, and owned TSI until the age of 78, when he retired and began consulting. As a consultant, he continued traveling across the US to analyze smoke and wastewater being put out by various industrial plants across the country.
Upon moving to Jacksonville after college, he followed Margaret in joining First Baptist Church of Jacksonville, Florida, and was a very active member. He was in the choir for many years, where one of the directors described him as having a deep bass voice with “a tremendous range, capable of anything vocally.” He would fill in as music director when the minister of music was sick or out of town, and was even interim music director twice. In addition, he was a deacon for many years (and at 25 was then the youngest deacon the church had ordained), as well as directing the High School, College & Career, Singles, and Senior Adults departments.
Harvey and Margaret were married in 1951 and had their first child, Kristen, five years later. Candace joined the family two years after that, and Dane was a Mother’s Day gift in 1964. While living in several apartments and homes in the Riverside and Arlington areas of Jacksonville, they saved for and bought the acre of land where they would design and build their dream home. This home was where they brought Margaret’s mother to live for several years, as well as being the base for all the extended family holidays and get-togethers. They and their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren enjoyed Sunday dinners around the table in this home almost every week until Harvey’s death. The yard was full of a wide variety of flowers and vegetables, as well as a wooded area that provided shelter for birds and adventure for children. Their beautiful gardens won neighborhood awards several times, and they were very generous in giving extra plants to neighbors and passers-by.
Though he didn’t tend to talk or “carry on” very much, when he did speak, his words would be full of considered wisdom or considerable wit, and his puns left the hearers rolling in surprise and laughter.
Harvey loved his Savior Jesus Christ, his family, and his church, living a life of service. He, like the Apostle Paul, lived a life of following Jesus and leading others. His example, love, and leadership will be greatly missed by all who knew him. He was predeceased by his loving wife, Margaret Gray, with whom he is certainly now rejoicing in Heaven. He is survived by his brother, Leonard Gray (Sandy); his three children, Kristen Mock (Walter), Candace MacDougal (Craig), and Dane Gray (Michelle); four grandchildren, Breana Keen (Andrew), Lauren Dornbrock (Tim), Garrett Gray, and Grant Gray; and two great-grandchildren, Perry and Declan Dornbrock.
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