George Henry Gray, Williams Bay, WI  (1930 - 2012)

July 22, 1930 – October 20, 2012
George Henry Gray, 82, died at Lakeland Hospital Oct. 20, 2012. He was born July 22, 1930, in Janesville, WI, to Henry and Bernice Baumbach Gray. George grew up in Milton, WI, and graduated from Milton Union High School in 1948, and Milton College in 1952. He was an accomplished athlete and lettered many times in three sports, both in high school and in college. On March 29, 1952, George married Etta Mae Geier in Madison, WI. He was drafted into the army in November 1952, during the Korean War and served on a supply ship that operated in the Pacific Northwest region and off the coast of Korea. He was stationed in Seattle, WA, until 1954.
George taught Science at Williams Bay High School from 1955 to 1965, and served as principal from 1965 to 1966. While at WBHS, George coached basketball, golf, and football. From 1969 to 1978, George served on the Williams Bay School Board and was Director of CESA 18 for many years.
In 1969, George received his PhD from the University of Wisconsin- Madison. He was then employed as Director of the Office of Budget, Planning & Analysis at UW-Whitewater until his retirement in 1993. He was responsible for creating the School Business Management Master of Science degree program at UW-Whitewater that trained many of Wisconsin’s school business managers.
In his retirement, George was able to devote more time to his passion of growing and cultivating new hybrids of rhododendron plants. His science background served as the basis for his interest in creating new hybrids that could withstand Wisconsin winters.
George is survived by his wife, Etta Mae Gray of Williams Bay; sons, Todd (Karen) Gray of Waukesha, Mark (Julie) Gray of Williams Bay; and daughter, Anne (Ben) McCready of Whitewater. He is further survived by grandsons: John (Annie) Gray of Washington DC, Ted Gray of Phoenix, AZ, Charlie Gray of Milwaukee, WI, and Bo (Brittany) McCready of McFarland, WI. He is also survived by one brother-in-law, Wayne Jenson of Burlington, and nephew, Aaron Jenson of San Francisco, CA. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Phoebe Jenson.
Visitation will be held at TOYNTON FUNERAL HOME in Walworth, WI, from 10 until 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 26, followed by a short service and private family burial.
Memorials can be made to the George Gray Education Scholarship Fund at Williams Bay High School or to the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Foundation.