Joshua David Gray's Obituary
Joshua David Gray, 40, of Collierville, TN passed away peacefully on February 10, 2023 with family by his side. Josh was born on September 3, 1982 to David and Jeanette Gray in Memphis, TN. After graduating from Evangelical Christian School in 2001 he went on to study Music History at University of Memphis. He was married to his wife Laurie for almost 15 years. After completing his Masters of Divinity at Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary, they moved to Kennett, MO to serve at Ely Baptist Church where Josh was the Minister of Youth & Music. They were called to Ridgeway Baptist Church in early 2012 and moved back to the Memphis area. Josh served as Associate Pastor for Students and Families for 11 years before his passing. Josh and Laurie have two daughters, Lizzie and Lucie. Apart from Jesus, his family meant more to him than anything else in the world.
Josh was a sports lover. From his Memphis Tigers and Crimson Tide to all of the New England sports, he was never afraid to share his double standards and biases for his teams. His love for baseball especially ran deep. He loved to tell stories of his infamous baseball trip with 7 buddies where they saw 6 ballparks in 7 days. To say that Josh was passionate would be an understatement. However, his greatest passion in life was to spread the Gospel to anyone that he met. Josh used his love of sports and his connections with Fellowship of Christian Athletes to make an impact on the youth of our city for Christ. He loved sharing devotions with teams at Ridgeway High School, Briarcrest Christian School, White Station High School, Westminster Academy, Trezevant High School and many others in our area. After his cancer diagnosis, he shared his testimony and God’s faithfulness with so many others that had been affected by cancer. No matter what happened in his life, he always gave God the glory for all things. He was well known for his “#GrayGrit” and “#SowillI” phrases throughout his cancer journey. He will forever be in our hearts and missed every day, but we know, because of his faith in Jesus, that he heard “well done, good and faithful servant” as he entered Heaven on Friday and he is now at the feet of Jesus.
Josh is survived by his wife, Laurie; his two daughters, Lizzie and Lucie; his parents, David and Jeanette Gray of Lakeland, TN; his sister, Ann Hendry (Bill) of Temple, TX; in addition to a host of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, family and friends. He was preceded in death by 4 grandparents who loved him dearly.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers please consider a donation to Fellowship of Christian Athletes or Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. Visitation will be held at Ridgeway Baptist Church on Saturday, February 18th from 9 – 11 am with the memorial service immediately following. There will be a private graveside for the immediate family.
“But as for me, I will sing about your power. Each morning I will sing with joy about your unfailing love. For you have been my refuge, a place of safety when I am in distress.” Psalms 59:16
“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” Psalms 19:1
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