Jimmie Willis Gray passed away on Sunday, September 16th, 2018. She was born at 304 Fairview Street, Fountain Inn, SC on April 26, 1925, daughter of James Brian Willis and Effie Holland Willis. She was the youngest of nine children and the last surviving member of her family.
Jimmie graduated from Fountain Inn High School in 1942. Her first job started at the age of 14 at Hall’s Five and Dime, Main Street, Fountain Inn. She later worked at T.G.&Y., Greenville, until she retired. In her post retirement, she worked as a sampler, the job she was born to do, at the Fresh Market, Greenville, for 30 years until the age of 89.
Jimmie met her husband, Charles Evans Gray, at the Fairview Stock show when she was in junior high and he was in high school. She went out with her older sisters and he thought that she was older and invited her to his senior prom. They dated for a while, but he had to go into the Army Air Corps in WWII and served 3.5 years in the Pacific. They married December 26th, 1946 in her parent’s home in Fountain Inn. They were married 25 years until Charles died suddenly at 49. Jimmie was left with a mortgage to pay and 3 children to put through college, which she successfully accomplished.
Jimmie loved her family and her family loved her. She cast a wide net and had many friends. No one was a stranger to Jimmie. Each person was important to her and she cared deeply about each one. She loved plants, gardening, cooking and celebrated every holiday entertaining at her home. She loved her church, Hampton Heights, and her many friends there. She loved to go to the beach and went at least once a year until she was 90. She loved gathering shells, eating seafood, and walking on the beach.
Jimmie will be missed – her laughter and her Christmas and Thanksgiving celebrations, at the beach and in the mountains, and at the big moments of our children. She had a good long life and we know she is now enjoying decorating her mansion.
Surviving are her children, daughter, Mary Charping of Taylors; son and daughter-in-law Charles “Buddy” Gray, Jr. and his wife Jennie of Mauldin; son-in-law Mike Kellett of Travelers Rest; grandchildren, Will Kellett of Simpsonville, Katie Mills (Luke) of Welford, Charlie Charping (Chelsea) of Raleigh, NC, Candie Charping, South Asia, Caroline and Rachel Gray of Columbia; great granddaughter, Maura Mills. She is preceded in death by her daughter Martha Kellett and son-in-law Phillip Charping.
Funeral services will be Friday, September 21, 2018 at 11am at Hampton Heights Baptist Church. Burial will follow in Woodlawn Memorial Park.
The family will receive friends Thursday evening from 6pm until 8pm at Mackey at Century Drive.
Those desiring may send donations to Hampton Heights Baptist Church Missions Fund, 2511 Wade Hampton Blvd., Greenville, SC 29615.
