Jack Borland Gray

Jack B. Gray, Jr. was born October 18, 1942, in Maryville, Missouri, the second son of Jack B. Gray and Eunice Cox Gray. He was preceded in death by his wife of 56 years, Gladys Hansen Gray, his parents, and his older brother, John Nicolas Gray. Survivors include daughter Kristin Breazeale and her husband Jon; daughter Kathryn Scott and her husband Jason; and grandchildren Justin Scott, Emma Breazeale, and Grayson Breazeale.

Jack was a 1960 graduate of Maryville Missouri High School and subsequently graduated from Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville in 1964 where he was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon international social fraternity. He attended the University of Oklahoma in Norman and graduated with an M.A. degree in Journalism in 1969.

Jack spent a long career in higher education and healthcare performing duties in marketing, public relations, and fund raising. During his career he served as Vice President at East Texas A&M in Commerce, Texas, as it is known today. In 1969 it was East Texas State University. He and his family left Commerce in 1985 for Greeley, Colorado, where he spent one year working at the University of Northern Colorado. He and Gladys were Texans at heart, so they moved back in 1986 and lived in Mesquite, Texas until 2000. While in Mesquite, Jack served as the President of the Mesquite Chamber of Commerce. After leaving the chamber, he was President of Development for Collin County Community College District in Plano, Texas.

In 2000 Jack and Gladys returned to Commerce where Jack worked at the university again for a short time and then became director of fund raising for Hunt Regional Healthcare in Greenville, from where he retired. After “retirement” he served as interim President of the Greenville Chamber of Commerce for a brief period. Jack chaired the board of the Audie Murphy American Cotton Museum in Greenville. He was a 50-year member of Rotary International and was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Commerce.

While Jack’s professional accomplishments were many, the true story of his life was written in the way he treated people. One of his greatest gifts was his sense of humor—he loved to make people laugh, and he did so often. His smile and easy chuckle were infectious. His family affectionately called him “the punster,” a title he earned through decades of joyful, groan-worthy wordplay and bad dad jokes.

Jack built deep and lasting relationships that spanned decades. He carried a kind and generous spirit into every room he entered. He loved his family fiercely and would do anything for them, rescuing each of us more than once with quiet strength and unwavering support. Even when life was hard, he never complained. He kept looking for joy, and just as importantly, he projected joy into the world—teaching those around him what resilient optimism looks like.

Jack leaves behind a legacy not only of service, leadership, and dedication, but also of laughter, kindness, and love. His impact lives on in the many people who were shaped by his encouragement, steadiness, and joyful presence.

A celebration of life will be held at First United Methodist Church in Commerce on Monday, November 24th at 11:00. Reception following in Fellowship Hall at the church.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Donor Funded Scholarships at East Texas A&M via this link: https://www.etamu.edu/remembering-jack-gray/. Donations can also be mailed to: East Texas A&M University Foundation, PO Box 3425, Commerce, TX 75429-3425.