SANDY SPRINGS, Ga.

— After 27 years of living with Parkinson’s disease, Dr. David S. McCray passed away on February 2, 2023, surrounded by love and compassion. He never complained and instead lived with dignity, grace and respect for his diagnosis, but most importantly he lived beyond his Parkinson’s.

He grew up in the small town of Malvern, Ark., and his early life was filled with a love of nature and adventure. His first glimpse at the world beyond was when he traveled to Berlin, Germany, in 1957 and spent a year abroad as a foreign exchange student. He visited many countries in Europe and thus began his love of travel. In his lifetime, he visited over 15 countries around the world.

In 1958, he returned home and earned his B.A. in Biology at Hendrix College, then went on to medical school at the University of Arkansas, obtaining his M.D. in 1966. He then served in the United States Air Force as a flight surgeon from 1967 to 1971 and was a proud veteran of the Vietnam War. Once he returned to civilian life, he completed his residency in General Psychiatry at Boston University hospitals and completed a Fellowship in Child Psychiatry at Harvard University hospitals. He embarked on a 25-year career in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry starting at the Child Study Center and Children’s Hospital in Little Rock, Ark., to private practice in Little Rock, and then moved to Beaufort, S.C., and joined the Coastal Empire Community Mental Health Center. His practice centered on the belief that children and their families deserved to enjoy life through the understanding of themselves and their abilities.

Throughout his 82 years of life, he was a wonderful son, brother, husband, father and grandfather. He taught us all to be patient and kind, to treat others with respect and empathy, to enjoy your life, to choose your attitude and to be in control of your response to the path our life takes.

His beautiful soul, his shining light, and his smiling eyes will be missed by all of us. May we endeavor to deserve the belief he showed in us.

Survived by his partner, Danny Miledi; his daughters, Calley McCray Pavlovich and Maeghan McCray Boyd and husband Todd D. Boyd; sister, Cathey Rule; grandchildren, Maxwell, Lyda, and Rocco Pavlovich and Ivey, Eden, and Tate Boyd.

If desired, donations may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research

https://tribute.michaeljfox.org/tribute-page.php?id=2553&np=true in honor of David S. McCray.