Obituary of Sylvia Jane Gray

Dr. Sylvia Jane Gray Dr. Sylvia Jane Gray never met a stranger. Sylvia, 77, died peacefully July 29, 2013 in Olympia, Washington with her husband, Dr. John Christy, by her side. Born in Lubbock, Texas, April 29, 1936, Sylvia grew up in the countryside she loved in East Texas. Later her family moved to Dallas where she graduated from North Dallas High School and met her lifelong friend, Patricia Newton. Sylvia went on to graduate from North Texas State University with an EdD in Educational Psychology. From there, she went on to work as a counselor and professor at UT Arlington, El Centro and Brookhaven Community Colleges. And during her college years, Sylvia was proud to have worked at Texas Instruments in Dallas as the first female Executive Supervisor. First and foremost, Sylvia was a teacher, professor and a licensed professional counselor who derived great joy from working with her students. She was never afraid to speak her mind and she did it in such a charming way that people with an opposite viewpoint were never offended, as though one had been hit with a velvet hammer. And she will always be remembered with some of her favorite sayings, like “only if it’s fun,” “say what you want,” “your ego is not your amigo,” and “freedom lies in being bold.” She was adventurous and loved to travel. She spent a year in the Philippines, Japan and Hong Kong in a teacher exchange program with her best friend, Dr. Eileen Lynch. She and Dr. Lynch also escorted student groups to Costa Rica for educational enrichment trips. Sylvia also spent a year sabbatical living in Olympia, Washington, working on an organic farm. During her life, Sylvia was proud to support and belong to the following groups: Planned Parenthood, National Organization of Women, World Future Society, The Pink Ladies, American Association of University Women, Jungian Society, Y.M.C.A., Genesis Women’s Center, and the Crisis Hotline for Domestic Abuse. In addition to her husband, Sylvia is survived by her daughter, Jennifer Gray and granddaughter Lily Gray of Los Angeles; daughter-in-law, Diana Gray of Fort Worth; step-children, Kathy Vehorn of Dallas, and John Christy III of Dayton, Ohio; her brothers, H.D. Stewart Jr., James Stewart and Richard Stewart of Dallas; her extended family includes Eileen, Laurey and Bridget Lynch, Michael, Steve and Joy Arndt of Dallas, and Tim Arndt of Austin, Texas. She is predeceased by her son, Dr. Mark Gray; her parents, Homer and Nina Stewart; and her sister, Barbara Barsh. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Dallas County Community College Foundation, Inc. (foundation@dcccd.edu), 1601 South Lamar St., Dallas, TX 75215-1816 to provide scholarships for district students in her memory. Please designate donations as the Dr. Sylvia J. Gray Memorial Scholarship Fund. Please leave memories of Sylvia or condolences for her family in the Guestbook below.