Bill Gray

Bill Gray was born on December 5th, 1943, and was raised in Deep Run. He married Priscilla “Syl” Gray in 1965. They had two children, Michelle and Michael, and also raised their granddaughter Brooke. Bill volunteered with the Deep Run Fire Department for 43 years. He was a Mason for over 50 years. Volunteering to help anyone in need was always a passion of his. Bill spearheaded countless benefits for people in the community that needed financial assistance with medical bills. He cooked countless hogs for BBQ fundraisers for the Deep Run Fire Department. He also helped cook at Christian Chapel Church for their fall bazaars where he and Syl attended church. Later in life they moved their membership to Deep Run Original Freewill Baptist Church where he continued to cook “on the Hill” for their fundraisers. Fish stews, shrimp stews, chicken pastry, BBQ, and chicken were just a few of the things he loved cooking for his family and friends. Every Christmas Day he would cook a big breakfast and invited lots of people to come to eat. Bill loved helping his community and was given numerous awards including the Godfather of Charities Award. Bill always found a way to keep raising money. He fought and won a long battle with cancer and became very active with Relay For Life raising a bunch of money each year. Several years he was recognized for raising the most money by an individual for the relay. He was also awarded the Life Time Achievement Award for raising over $100,000 for Relay for Life. If anyone knew Bill they knew his love for cooking, volunteering, and helping his community in a time of need. He left behind a great legacy for volunteering and helping others.