Samuel Stevens Gray, 65, died of cancer on the 4th of July, 2013, at his home on Beaver Lake in Derry. Mr. Gray was born on December 29, 1947 in Derry to William and Leona Gray. He was a 1966 graduate of Pinkerton Academy. Shortly after graduation, he joined the United States Marine Corps. He served a tour of duty in Da Nang during the Vietnam War, was on a United Nations peacekeeping mission outside of Lebanon, and was honorably discharged as an E5 Sergeant in 1971. After his military service, he attended the Emery School of Shorthand Reporting in Boston and became a court reporter for the State of New Hampshire Legislature. For over 25 years, he was the owner of Samuel Gray Court Reporting Services. After his retirement, he worked part-time at Verizon Wireless Arena.
Sam enjoyed hunting with his brother in Colorado, fishing, and being on his boat at his home on Beaver Lake and spending time with his family. He was very active in his community; serving on the PTA, coaching his children on their various sports teams, and serving on special committees in town. Mr. Gray was a Justice of the Peace, officiating over 70 weddings. As a member of the First Parish Church of East Derry, Mr. Gray served on their Building Committee. He was a past member of the Derry Lion’s Club and Derry Chamber of Commerce. He was a very active member of the Derry Rotary Club serving as its President from 2010-2011. He was named “Rotarian of the Year” in 2011 and was recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow for his volunteerism. For the last several years, he served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer in the role of Guardian Ad Litem. He advocated for abused children’s best interests and brought great joy to the many children he assisted during their difficult times. In addition to his volunteerism, Mr. Gray thoroughly enjoyed helping friends and neighbors and making people laugh with his splendid sense of humor.
Mr. Gray is survived by his wife of nearly 42 years, Cynthia (Joyce) and three children; Jennifer Byrne of Norton, MA; Heather and her husband Bryan Fleming of Derry; and Michael and his wife Alyssa Gray of Beverly, MA. He is also survived by five grandchildren whom he adored: Jack and Julia Byrne, Bryan and Adam Fleming, and Samuel Gray. He is additionally survived by two sisters: Nancy (Paul) Sullivan of Londonderry and Sally (Kenneth) Lovell of Lehigh Acres, FL., and a large extended family. He was predeceased by sisters Mary Aubin (1975), Janice Chase (2005), and James Gray (2012).
Calling hours were held on Sunday, July 7, 2013 from 3 – 7pm in the Peabody Funeral Homes and Crematorium, 15 Birch Street, Derry. A funeral service was held on Monday, July 8th at 10:30am in the First Parish Congregational Church, 47 East Derry Road, East Derry. Burial followed in the Forest Hill Cemetery, directly behind the church. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in his name to CASA of NH via www.casanh.org or PO Box 1327, Manchester, NH 03105.