Audrey Jenny Gray

Audrey Jenny Gray (nee Young) died in Tucson, Arizona on May 3, 2018 at the age of 94. She was born on June 9, 1923 in Bunola, Pennsylvania to Annie E. (nee Conaway) and Joe Cephas Young and was the youngest of five children. She graduated with honors from Monongahela (PA) High School. World War II was on and Audrey went to work for Bell Telephone Company as an operator. In January 1944 she eloped to Syracuse, NY to marry the love of her life, William Gray, Jr. She was devoted to him for 69 years until his death in 2013. Audrey lived with Bill in Monongahela after the war until 1960 when they moved to Ogden Dunes, Indiana. There, she returned to work for General Telephone. Going from long distance operator to clerk, she became the person of choice for the steel companies experiencing problems. Audrey was always asked for by name. When her union workers went on strike instead of picketing with them she went to Dairy Queen and bought them ice cream treats. She loved Lake Michigan, the beach and the sand dunes. She did not like sand being tracked into the house! After Audrey and Bill retired they moved to Oro Valley, Arizona. Many hours were spent watching the desert “critters”, even a mountain lion one day. She and Bill traveled widely, especially visiting Germany, enjoying cruises to Hawaii and Alaska, and tours to the British Isles and New England. A favorite place was Disney World. Audrey was a beautiful redhead who always dressed stylishly. A world class shopper, visiting sales and discount stores was a must. She regularly rode the South Shore train from Ogden Dunes to the Chicago Loop for a day at Marshall Fields. On the way back to the train she would stop for one vanilla cream chocolate at Fannie May Candies. She shared her sweet tooth with her beloved brown poodle, Brandy. The two had a scoop of vanilla ice cream nightly. Audrey is survived by her three children; James and wife, Lois, of Mount Vernon, Indiana, William and wife, Cynthia, of Tucson, Arizona, and Connie Voight of Spokane, Washington. She is also survived by nine grandchildren who fondly called her “Grams” and ten great grandchildren.