On Saturday, January 15th, 2022, David Gray of Southampton, formerly of Cambridge (Galt), passed away in his 87th year to be reunited in death with his wife, Margaret, and brothers, Alan and Don.
David is survived by daughters Anne (Bryan) and Sheryl (Tim), and grandchildren Josi, Audrey, Lydia, Jake, Nick, and Lexie. He is also survived by his sister, Marion (Sam), and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Throughout his childhood and adulthood spent in Cambridge, he was very active with friends and family. He loved to sing, and his tenor voice found its way to the Fleming Gray Male Chorus; along with twin brother Don and many friends, he spent years performing in concerts and variety shows. His family was very important to him, and he enjoyed family dinners, cottage vacations, and spending time with his twin Don. He was also a dedicated employee, working for 33 years with Rockwell (Allen-Bradley) in the expediting/shipping departments.
Post-retirement, David came to call Southampton home, and was surrounded by countless friends and neighbours with whom he shared coffee, jokes, companionship, and support. He will be missed by his companion Muriel, and special friends Harry, Gord, Jim, and many others.
His gardens were planted for the joy they would bring passersby, and his “dad jokes” were his signature sign-off for every visit, pop-in, and phone call. Shopkeepers knew him by name, and his favourite restaurant staff knew his order and how he liked his coffee.
David had many consistent loves throughout his life – Margaret, gardening, jokes, and lemon meringue pie – and his fondness for the Royal Family was a passion from childhood. He absolutely delighted in meeting fellow monarchists, arranging displays of his most cherished pieces, and giving talks to community groups.
At David’s request there will be no funeral service. Interment of Ashes will take place in the spring at Mount View Cemetery, Cambridge. If desired, memorial donations may be made to the Canadian Cancer Society.
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Editor’s Note:
I first met David when I joined the Southampton United Church choir. As a tenor, David sat directly behind us, the sopranos.
He was a gentle gentleman with an unquenchable sense of humour. One could never meet David without his having a joke, a one-liner or a pun … whether it was in church, on the street or at the post office. He always, always had something funny to share that would make you laugh.
David was also a staunch Royalist who supported the Monarchy to the end. He had one of the most extensive collections of Royal memorabilia that would have made the Queen Mother proud.
When he met my two adult grandchildren at church, he invited me to bring them to his home. They were enthralled with his collection and David was delighted that two young people took such an interest in his Royal collection and gave them each a teacup and saucer that they treasure today.
David also took great pride in his garden and, particularly, in his daffodils that created a wide swath of yellow each spring in his yard that bordered Grey Street in Southampton. He often asked me to stop by and take photos of his pride and joy, his daffodils, as we would walk through his garden … i’m so glad that we had that time together.
David’s little creatures
For larger view, Click on Image
Over the years, David became more frail but he never lost his sense of humour, his wit or … his wonderful smile.
We will miss him
