Bom-Wrapper

The Memorial Candle Program has been designed to help offset the costs associated with the hosting this Tribute Website in perpetuity. Through the lighting of a memorial candle, your thoughtful gesture will be recorded in the Book of Memories and the proceeds will go directly towards helping ensure that the family and friends of John Gray can continue to memorialize, re-visit, interact with each other and enhance this tribute for future generations.

Thank you.

Cancel
Select Candle

D.G.

Actually, Jack Gray began his high school teaching in West Toronto at Western Technical-Commerce School and I was one of his grade nine students. Equally important, he found enough time to introduce some of the large student body (almost 3000 at that time) to the team sport of football). Playing for the championship Argonauts must been challenging while becoming a respected high school teacher. There were many distractions at this huge school for a "Minor Niner" but Mr. Gray strongly guided our early steps into education but also while we adjusted to our teenage years. To accommodate Canadian footballers in that era, the Argos began their daily practices in the late afternoons/early evenings. This permitted Canadian players opportunity for daytime employment to supplement the light CFL salaries of that era. Coach Gray would begin our high school football practices every day but needed to depart at a particular time to accommodate his daily Argo schedule too. His assistant coaches and team leaders were well schooled for this unusual schedule. Even after Coach Gray's departure to his new teaching assignment, his dedicated student-athletes carried on with all the learned lessons for a positive result for several years. This writer graduated and built a management business career. Although some of Coach Gray's athletes had a run with the CFL pros, this individual did not crack a professional playing lineup. However the solid beginning must have helped build something useful. Youth coaching in the Argo farm system led to opportunities as an Associate Argo Coach and CFL "Bird Dog" scouting for potential talent in the amateur ranks. Am convinced that much of this started with some quality fundamental principles instilled by Jack Gray. When i recently heard this news of Jack Gray's passing, I wanted for the family to become aware of my appreciation and thanks for Mr. Gray who pointed the way at a key time in the then-challenging phase of a 13 year old.
Thursday June 14, 2018 at 6:36 pm
Prev - Condolence 1 of 9 - Next
Recently Shared Condolences
Recently Lit Memorial Candles
Recently Shared Stories
Recently Shared Photos
Share by: