Reynolds Gray

Marjorie Louise Reynolds Gray, age 94, died at 9:35 pm, Sunday, June 19, 2011 at Ambassador Health and Rehab of Wadesboro, NC. During her long, productive life, Reynolds touched and enriched many lives. Reynolds was the consummate registered nurse. Intelligent, skilled, perceptive, determined; she intuitively knew how to manage challenging medical or interpersonal situations with dignity and grace. Born January 22, 1917 in Ellerbe, North Carolina, to Duncan Eugene Reynolds and Berta Alice Haywood Reynolds, she graduated Ellerbe High School in 1934. Reynolds graduated Anson Sanitorium School of Nursing in Wadesboro, NC in 1940 and practiced nursing continuously through 1983. In early years she provided care for people as a hospital and operating room nurse. During the years she was raising her family, she focused on individual patients through private duty nursing. Reynolds maintained a tradition of giving a new silver dollar to newborn babies for whose mothers she provided care during labor and delivery. Following several years as the office nurse for Dr. Robert Davis, Reynolds spent the latter part of her career in public health nursing. The North Carolina Public Health Association recognized her outstanding contribution to the State Childhood Immunization Program with the Samuel Katz Award in 1981. She retired from nursing practice as the Director of Nursing at Anson County Health Department in 1983. Reynolds instilled strength of character, as well as the ability to identify and to do the right thing, in everyone with whom she associated. She continues to contribute to the well being of all people, especially through public service provided by her children. Reynolds is survived by her husband of 69 years, Paul A. Gray (Wadesboro); her sons Paul Allen Gray, Jr. (Wilmington), Beecher Reynolds (Sue) Gray (Durham), and John Duncan Gray (Chapel Hill) and her grandchildren, Matthew Justin (Nikiann) Gray (Raleigh), William Patrick Gray (Sanford), and Reynolds Olivia Gray (Durham). A service to celebrate the life of Reynolds Gray will be held at 4:00PM Saturday, June 25, in the First Baptist Church, Wadesboro, NC. Memorial gifts toward a nursing scholarship can be made in the name of Reynolds Gray to the UNC Chapel Hill School of Nursing, CB 7460, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7460. Leavitt Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be made at www.leavittfuneralhomewadesboro.com.