Obituary for Stephen Gray

Stephen Aloysius Gray, long time resident of Ponca City passed away Thursday, January 29, 2015, in the Ponca City Medical Center at the age of 80.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m., Tuesday, February 4, 2015, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 707 E. Ponca, Ponca City, Oklahoma, with Reverend Kevin Ratterman officiating. A rosary service will be held on Monday, February 3, 2015, at 6 p.m. with Deacon Dick Robinson at Trout Funeral Home Chapel, Ponca City, Oklahoma. Internment will be at Resthaven Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Trout Funeral Home & Crematory.

Steve was born April 27, 1934, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to Lyman Otto Gray and Maria Frances Leven. The family moved to McPherson, Kansas, where Steve began his education then on to Salina, Kansas, where he continued his education at Sacred Heart Catholic School. After the death of his father, the family moved to Ponca City, Oklahoma, where Steve attended St. Mary’s Catholic School, graduating from St. Gregory’s Catholic School at Shawnee, Oklahoma in 1951. He furthered his education at Northern Oklahoma Junior College in Tonkawa, Oklahoma, and then graduated with a degree from Oklahoma A&M (now OSU) in 1951.

After graduation, he began his auto mechanic’s career with Sutton Lincoln Mercury in Ponca City, Oklahoma, and later at Olsen Butler Ford in Newkirk, Oklahoma. On November 12, 1955, he married Bonnie Montgomery. Together they purchased the Cities Service gas station at the corner of Oak and Highland in Ponca City, Oklahoma. After selling the gas station, they moved to Bronson, Michigan, where he was employed with McGriffin Ford, later returning to Ponca City, Oklahoma, as the service manager for Jack Bowker Ford. Steve later worked as a mechanical inspector with Continental Oil Company. He went back into the auto mechanic business as a salesman with the Marquette Corporation. In 1969 he opened his own auto repair shop, Ponca Auto Lab, which he operated until 1978. The marriage with Bonnie dissolved in 1979, at which point Steve moved to the Mustang, Oklahoma, area where he operated one of the largest retail firework outlets in the country, Firework City U.S.A., which allowed him to travel throughout Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. He then moved back to Ponca City, Oklahoma, and opened and operated Friendly Pawn until his retirement in 1999.

For more than 20 years, Steve was known to many throughout Kay County as “Santa Claus.” He spent much of his own time and money serving the less fortunate in this capacity. To this day, many individuals recall the fond memories of Steve coming to their homes. To his marriage with Bonnie, they raised six children, which he was extremely proud of and claimed as his legacy.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Lyman and Maria, as well as his siblings, Gertrude Yanora, Betty Jean Darling, Lyman Donald Gray and John Joe Gray.

He is survived by his children: Stephen Gray (Lisa), Oklahoma City; Anna (Jeff) Randol, Ponca City, Paul Gray (Janel) Newkirk, Maria (Stan) Villines, Ponca City, Greg Gray(Shannon), Ponca City and Timothy Gray (Mary), Katie, TX. His grandchildren: Jennifer Gray, Enid, Kari Gray, Ponca City, Desiree Wathor, Ponca City, Sandra Randol, Newkirk, Jerrod Gray, Oklahoma City, Shane Gray, Aurora, CO, Kelli Waggerman, Ponca City, Kory Villines, Bixby, OK, Cecil Villines, Bixby, OK, Kyle Villines, Yale, OK, Clint Villines, Ponca City, Chase Gray, Ponca City, Ashley Gray, Stillwater, Austin Gray, Ponca City, Colton Gray, Ponca City, Bryan Gray, Columbus, OH, Emily Gray, Katie, TX, Drew Gray, Goodland, KS. He is also survived by eight great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

Casket bearers are Steve’s grandsons. Memorial contributions may be made to St. Mary’s School Endowment Fund, 415 S. 7th St, Ponca City, OK 74601 or to the Wounded Warrior Project PO Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675

Source: Trout Funeral Home