Age 69, formerly of Pine Grove
Newton Arthur Gray, 69, formerly of Pine Grove, passed away on Monday, July 19, 2023. He was born on July 10, 1953.
The son of Amanda Marie Weakley, known to her beloved family and friends as “Ping,” and Harry Arthur Gray Jr., known to his beloved friends and family as “Junior” or “Unk,” Newton, also known as “Newty” and “Nacky” was as muiti-faceted as his family’s nicknames.
The only son born to Amanda and Harry, they doted upon him and he enjoyed his only child status whilst they ran their market in Pine Grove near Marksville, Va. He scooped ice cream and chased cats out of the freezers during the summer months. Eventually moving to Richmond, Va., close to Amanda’s sister Stella and her family.
With an artists soul, Newty never found a place in the conventional working world. He was passionate about clay sculpture and had created his own studio in the home he lived in with his cherished parents. He also worked with pastels, charcoal, and oils. He would offer commissioned paintings and any sale would make his parents so proud.
An avid lover of baseball, especially the “A Braves” due to the Richmond Braves AAA connection, Nacky installed a large satellite dish in the early 90’s in order for the family to watch all of the regular season games. Despite the live feed, his hardworking parents would ask him to record the games on their VCR, so they could watch the games at their beloved Pine Grove family home.
He helped out his extended family that lived around Richmond and Pine Grove including his aunt Stella’s a.k.a. “Boozie’s” husband Joseph “Buck” Gray, who had early onset Alzheimer’s. Stella’s grandchildren Jennifer and Jessica often stayed with Nacky and his parents where he taught them how to draw and memorize Nintendo codes.
As his parents aged, his role turned to caring for them. Harry Arthur Gray, an honored veteran of WWII left us August of 2003 and his wife of 56 years, Amanda Weakley, a contagiously funny and loving mother left us January of 2013.
A private person until the end, Newton Gray left the world loving his family and leaving his art as his legacy.
He is survived by dozens of cousins from the Downeys in Illinois and Tedescos in Texas to Weakleys and Grays back home in Page County, and Richmond, VA. Remembering youthful adventures with him in Gray Hollow and Richmond, they miss him dearly.
A celebration of life will be announced at a later date.
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