Joseph

Gray

Joseph "Joe" Gray, age 96, decided it was time to join his late wife of 60-years and 3 siblings in heaven as he passed away peacefully surrounded by love in the late hours of Thursday March 5, 2026.  Born February 11, 1930, he spent nearly a century perfecting the art of hustling others at pool, becoming a self-made man, occasionally pretending not to hear things by turning off his hearing aids, and cultivating a deep love for his family. This deep love started early, as he had to drop out of school at an early age to help earn money after his father abandoned the family in New York.

Before retiring, Joe spent many years working for International Paper Mill (I.P.) where he was recognized for his strong work ethic, ingenuity, and desire to teach others without sacrificing on some shenanigans. This dedication to his career and coworkers can be seen through his many accomplishments at I.P., including starting out in maintenance as a general laborer, progressing to Pulp Mill Operator, Foreman, then advancing all the way up to Assistant Pulp Mill Superintendent all as a self-taught man. Even more outstanding, was Joe started his career with I.P. at the tender age of 16, after going in day-after-day telling the hiring manager "see ya in a day", until the hiring manager caved and hired Joe. During retirement, Joe couldn't sit still and kept busy as a maintenance engineer for the Best Western, working as a handyman fixing anything you brought him,  and starting his own business,  "Joe's Repair Shop". When not working, Joe spent his days searching for good deals at garage sales in memory of his late wife, people watching with his 4-legged best friend Sabrina, and most importantly, sandbagging people at the pool table with a seemingly innocent ask to go "double or nothing?".

Joe is survived by his sons, Benny and Duffell, daughter-in-laws, Uli and Cheryl, grandchildren, Amber and Joe, as well as his younger sister, Ruth, all of who will always remember his can-do-attitude, kind but feisty spirit, being tough but fair, and sincere passion for helping others.  After 96 well lived years, he leaves behind a legacy of thoughtful lessons, funny stories, and a family of well seasoned pool sharks.  Joe will be deeply missed and fondly remembered, but his family takes comfort in knowing he's probably asking his guardian angel right now to go "double or nothing?"