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Gray Arlington Murray Payne
Brother, Uncle, Husband, Father, Grandfather, Great Grandfather & Friend...
I remember Gray as a baby. He was a special baby because Uncle Phil always wanted a brother; Special because, as an active toddler he kept our grandmother’s developing senility from advancing.
While growing up here in America, Gray met all of the challenges of his peers. Dad always told the boys never to start a fight, but if pressed to it, especially with a bully, to hit him hard enough to knock him down... and he would never bother you again. So, our favorite story is when Gray, at about 8 years of age, had a fight, in pouring rain, in the school yard while the principal watched from his window – just in case. Gray, won of course.
As he grew Gray developed two loves: music and hunting. In adulthood we ate several venison meals because of his skill with the bow and arrow or rifle.
He was supposed to study law but while attending Virginia Union University he became interested in the theatre. He then headed to England. And we would soon get newspaper clippings of his stage appearances. He married and moved to Leeds, England, where he formed a band - singer, guitar and drums. There they played the club circuit, which was like the supper-clubs here in the States with dinner plus entertainment.
I spent a wonderful summer driving through northern England with the group who called themselves ‘The Golliwogs’. The first night I heard them perform, I realized that Gray was in his element. He had a beautiful, smooth, resonant baritone voice (and the personality), which after he had warmed up there was nothing like it. The people loved him and there was always enthusiastic applause galore.
The last great time to be had with Gray was at the ‘Homestead’ house in upstate New York, one weekend. After dinner, Gray, Uncle Phil and I began to reminisce about the TV commercial ‘gingles’ when we were young. We began to laugh as we tried to remember the words and tunes. The laughter went on until midnight.
Long before this, a cousin, Rick, retired to Kissimmee, Florida. I remember wondering, why anyone would want to move to Kissimmee.
Many years later, Gray and his wife, Marcia, would move to Florida, a short distance from Kissimmee.
This meant a new everything, especially friends. Then it struck me, as I was writing this: Gray had been very young when Rick last saw him, about fifty years ago, but God was already there and had prepared the way. Rick was the support needed and back-up while they were settling in. Marcia said, he and Rick shared some good visits with each other.
We were lucky to have two great parents who saw to it we would have good memories. Sunday drives, picnics, going to the Big Bow Wow in Broad Channel (New York) for hot dogs and drinks on hot summer nights and going to Playland in Rockaway Park driving the bumper cars where chuckles became laughs, especially Gray’s hearty laugh. As well as fun, we enjoyed each other.
Gray was an extraordinary person, a good man, and a Wonderful Brother!