DONALD GRAY
10/07/1929 - 08/21/2022
On August 21, 2022, Donald McLeod Gray, a longtime resident of Houston,
died in Austin of congestive heart failure. He was 92 years old. He is survived by his wife of 71 years, Jean Gray; by his four children, Linda Williams (husband Russell Williams), Steve Gray (wife Madeleine Clarke), Janet Gray (husband Russell Luke), and Kendall Gray (wife Carolyn Gray); and by his five grandchildren, Ethan Williams, Matthew Williams, Daniel Gray, Dorothy Gray, and Cameron Gray.
Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, on October 7, 1929, Don spent most of his childhood in Houston, graduating from San Jacinto High School in 1946. He earned Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Geology from the University of Texas at Austin, and in 1952, shortly after receiving the latter degree, began work as an exploration geologist for Shell Oil Company. He worked for
Shell in various cities—Denver, Corpus Christi, Houston, Calgary, and Houston again— for approximately 35 years, before taking early retirement from the company and devoting himself to various volunteer activities.
Don had a number of strong interests, including music, photography, gardening, travel, fossils, reading, and investment planning. His special loves, however, were nature and his family. For many years, Don led tours as a docent at the Arboretum in Memorial Park, at the Houston Natural History Museum, and at the Audubon Society’s Edith L. Moore (ELM) Nature Sanctuary. He was extremely knowledgeable about the plants, animals, and fungi of the Houston area and enjoyed awakening others to the beauty and complexity of the natural world. He brought a naturalist’s eye and a poetic ear to his appreciation of the wild environment. For several decades, he wrote and published a monthly nature newsletter—first for the Arboretum’s Aline McAshan Interpretive Guide Organization (AMIGO Newsletter) and later for the ELM Sanctuary (Elmwood Gadget)—that was entertaining, insightful, and enlightening.
He and Jean also volunteered for many years with the Friends of the Houston Public Library, sorting thousands of books each year in preparation for the annual book sale. In 2004, Don received the Greater Houston Service Award in recognition of his volunteer work. Friends and family will miss his thoughtfulness, sense of humor, generosity of spirit, ethical rigor, and unconditional affection. In particular, his devotion to Jean throughout his life was obvious to all who knew him, and a prominent aspect of his character.
No funeral services will be held.