James O. Gray

Services will be at 10:00 AM Saturday, September 22, 2012, at First Baptist Church, with Rev. Barry Owens, associate pastor, officiating.Burial will follow at Fairview Cemetery under the direction of Carmichael-Whatley Funeral Directors.Mr. Gray was born May 16, 1928 in Winchester, Kentucky. As a young boy, his family moved to Pampa where he attended schools, graduating from Pampa High School in 1946. He married Joyce Maiden on August 11, 1946 in Pampa. He enlisted in the U. S. Army in 1952, and was stationed at Fort Sill, Missouri during the Korean Conflict where he worked as a carpenter. James studied drafting at Frank Phillips College and then went to work for a cabinet shop in Pampa. Several years later, he and Vernon Langley purchased the shop, and then after Vernon's death, James changed the name to Gray's Decorating Center. He retired in 2002. He was a member of First Baptist Church. He and his wife helped coach their daughters' softball teams at the Pampa Optimist Club. He was one of the founding members of Hidden Hills Municipal Golf Course. James liked the outdoors where he golfed, fished and camped, and was a member of the Red Dale Camper Club.Survivors include his wife: Joyce Gray; 2 daughters: Debbie Gray of Richardson and DeAnn Young and husband Jay of Columbus, Ohio; 2 grandsons: Brandon Gray Young and Keenan James Young, both of Columbus, Ohio; a sister: Vivian White of Pampa; and a stepbrother: Buddy Cockrell. James was preceded in death his parents; a daughter: Dorinda Robinson; and a stepbrother: Lee Cockrell.Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church Building Fund, P.O. Box 621, Pampa, Texas 79066-0621