Alicia Gray

Those who know her loved her enthusiastic, joyful, upbeat personality. She was known to many as a true believer in Christ. She read her Holy Bible all the time and she would write notes about her comprehension. In one of her notepads, she wrote: Absent from the body. Present with the Lord. She was studying 2 Corinthians, chapter 5 and in verses 5-8 it reads: “Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.”

Alice was a strong and courageous Christian woman. She loved her husband, Ray, with all of her heart and being. An accident with an 18-wheeler in the mid 80s left Ray with physical impairments. When everyone thought his life was over, Alice fervently fought for him with her own life and prayers. She was responsible for helping him recover use in his body by doing her own form of physical therapy to the music of Beverly Hills Cop. It worked and before his passing in August of 2020, they had a blessed, long marriage. Alicia never complained about the hardship of caring for a person with physical disabilities. She never felt sorry for herself. She, instead, did everything to help Ray be at ease and comfortable in his long life. We could see her unselfishness and unconditional love, but she could not. She just did it.

It was recently discovered that Alice suffered with a mental illness and depression but no one who knew her knew that. In fact, I don’t think she knew that of it herself. Ray’s death, the loneliness in her life, its purpose diminished brought great sadness and unhappiness that cocooned her in the end. Nevertheless, her kindness to others and living life always on the bright side is how we know her best.

Alice was a survivor of cancer, twice! She was an excellent bowler and since she was young, she could draw impressively. Her and Ray lost their only child when she got diagnosed with cancer in the early eighties, but found a way to still show love and grace to children through St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. Together, they gave to multiple charities serving the homeless and poor and were strong supporters of Israel and the Jewish people.

Alicia Gray, our beloved sister and aunt, is rewarded with great peace and joy in a place prepared just for her. She will live in our memories forever. She will be missed greatly.