Mr. Allen W. Gray

.Funeral Services will be held at 2 PM Thursday at Southside United Methodist Church for Allen W. Gray, 62, who passed away suddenly on October 19, 2010. Burial will follow at Rainbow Memorial Gardens. Revs. Carrie Kramer, Bryon Vance, Bobby Joe Winningham, and Bro. Glenn Gray will officiate. Collier-Butler Funeral and Cremation Services directing.

Allen served in the U.S. Army and was a Vietnam War Veteran. He worked at Anniston Army Depot for 37 years and taught Heavy Mobile Equipment at Gadsden State Community College for 2 years. Allen was an avid Auburn fan, fisherman, hunter, and was of the Baptist faith.

He was preceded in death by his father, Allen S. Gray; mother, Margaret Ramsey Gray; sister, Barbara Scales; and nephews, Matthew and Jonathan Yates.

Allen is survived by his best friend and loving wife of 39 years, JoAnn Coker Gray; children, Paige (Garry) Mintz, Amy (Ronald) Gray, Brooke (Bruce) Copeland, and Shane (Leigh) Gray; grandchildren, Morgan, Madison, and Jakeb Mintz, Koby Dillard, Zoe, Alyssa, and Wyatt Copeland, Molly-Kate and Emma Gray, sisters, Brenda Gray, Renee (Michael) Yates, and Cindy (Michael) Smedley; brothers and sisters-in-laws and numerous nieces and nephews.

Above all, Allen loved his grandchildren. He loved watching them play sports, taking them for a ride on the pontoon boat, taking them fishing and hunting, and going on vacation with the family and his dog Tipper.

Pallbearers will be nephews and brothers-in-laws. Honorary pallbearers will be Billy Rogers, James “Dog” Underwood, Reuben Waddell, Richard Presley, and his co-workers from Building 400, ANAD, and all the guys from Quality.

Flowers will be accepted or memorials may be made to Southside United Methodist Church Building Fund in memory of Allen W. Gray.

Mr. Gray will lie-in-state for 1 hour prior to the service on Thursday at Southside United Methodist Church.