Donald Gene Bray

Donald Gene “Don” Bray, age 76, of Grants Pass, died Saturday, June 22, 2013 at Rogue Regional Medical Center.

A graveside service will be at 10:30 a.m., Monday, July 1, 2013 at Wilderville Cemetery with Pastors Matt Heverly and Dick Boden officiating. Hull & Hull Funeral Directors are in charge of arrangements.

Remembrances may be made to Gospel Rescue Mission, PO Box 190, Grants Pass, Oregon 97528.

Please sign the family guest book at www.since1928hull.com.

Don was born December 4, 1936 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to Verle & Helen (Holden) Bray. In 1954 he graduated from East Bakersfield High School. On July 29, 1955 in Eugene, Oregon he married Grace Parrett and they moved to Bakersfield, California. While in Bakersfield, he worked for Bell Telephone Company and Bankers Life of California. In 1961 they moved to Sacramento where he worked for Farmers Insurance. After moving to Auburn, California he worked for Auburn Lumber Company. He returned to Sacramento and worked for Hostess Cakes for eight years. He then attended Sacramento State University where he received a Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Corrections and while attending school he worked for New York Life Insurance and owned and operated a Mexican import business selling imports at fairs in Oregon, California and Washington. He also worked for the California Youth Authority. In 1974 he moved to Grants Pass where he was the only adult parole and probation officer in Josephine County. In 1983 he moved to Hawaii and lived there a short time before returning to Grants Pass. He then opened construction cost estimating schools in Federal Way, Washington, Portland, Oregon, and Laurel, Maryland. He returned to work for Josephine County as a parole and probation officer retiring in 1999.

Don was a member of Toastmasters and attended Edgewater Christian Fellowship and a men’s Bible study.

His hobbies included horseback riding, shooting guns, and swimming.

Don is survived by his wife, Betty Bray of Grants Pass, Oregon; a daughter, Kelly Breuninger of Arroyo Grande, California; a son, Donald “Scott” Bray of Hillsboro, Oregon; a sister, Susan Napier of Santa Barbara, California, two half sisters, Theresa Butterworth of Burbank, California, and Tracy Bray of Goleta, California; a half-brother, Rob Bray of Berkeley, California; and seven grandchildren.