James "Don" Donald Gray

James Donald Gray passed away peacefully February 14, 2023, after a brief illness.

Don was the son of the late James Franklin Gray and Harriet Roseberry Gray. Don grew up in Pataskala, Ohio, and was the Salutatorian of his 1962 graduating class of Watkins Memorial High School, where he was Co-Captain of the football team, Class President, and Captain of the debate team and was also on the golf team. He graduated from Ohio State in 1963 with an agriculture degree. He then served 3 years in the Army during the Vietnam era and was stationed in Camp Hill, PA and served as a food inspector. His two children Jim and Wendy were born during his time in the service with his first wife, Millie Gray. He returned to the Columbus, Ohio area after his military service, where he was a health inspector for the City of Columbus. Utilizing the G.I. Bill, during this time he attended night school at Capitol University in Columbus, where he graduated the summer of 1975 with a Juris Doctorate. He passed the Ohio State Bar on his first attempt and was briefly a practicing attorney in his hometown of Pataskala. Don and his family moved to the Athens, GA area in 1980, where he ran and owned a durable medical equipment business, Dooley's Sick Room Supplies. In this business, Don was well loved and appreciated by the numbers of customers he graciously served. After selling this business, he started and ran two other businesses related to the medical field, as well as a home repair company. The last 24 years of his life, he owned and operated Accurate Appraisal Group, where he was a Certified Residential Appraiser. He worked up until two months before his passing: five and sometimes six days a week at 78 years old, not because he had to, but because he loved the job that much.

Throughout the years, Don and his family owned and showed American Quarter Horses all over the Southeast. He served as President of the Dixie Reining Horse Association, and for years was the voice of Dixie, spending his weekends as the shows’ announcer. Don was a lifelong Country Music Fan, in particular artists from the Fifties and Sixties. He and his first wife traveled to Branson, MO many times to enjoy their favorite artists from days gone by. Don was also an avid Braves fan and could rattle off stats for not only the Braves, but many of the Major League Teams. He and his family attended Braves Spring Training several years in Orlando.

Don was able to find love again in the last few years of his life and married his second wife, Sheila Miller, on July 31, 2022.

Along with his parents, Don was preceded in death by the mother of his children, Millie Gray; his daughter Wendy Gray; and his sister Janet Gray-Jones.

Don is survived by his son Jim Gray, his wife Sheila Miller-Gray, sister Kay Strohen, brother Roger Gray, stepdaughter Shannon Fleeman (Chris), stepson Matt Miller (Mara), and step-grandchildren Daniela and Eli.

The family will receive friends on Saturday, March 4 at Lord and Stephens, East from 2:00 until 4:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. Jude Children's Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or at stjude.org .

Lord and Stephens Funeral Home, EAST, Athens, GA, is in charge of arrangements. www.lordandstephens.com