Ruffin “Ruff” Walker Gray, 92, devoted family man and decorated Air Force pilot, died Aug. 29, 2016 in Katy, Texas. He is survived by his loving wife of 63 years, Frances Wells Gray. Their five children, Deborah, Michael, Gary, Jon and Christopher and their spouses, eight grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren will miss him dearly. While at Texas A&M, Ruff responded to the war effort by joining the Army Air Corps on Veteran’s Day on Nov. 11, 1942 and served as a combat aviator in the Pacific, again in the Korean War Conflict and rose to the rank of Colonel by the end of his Air Force career retiring in July 1971. He was awarded the Legion of Merit with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Distinguished Flying Cross, multiple Air Medals, the Bronze Star and numerous other awards and decorations throughout his distinguished, 29-year military career piloting 12 different combat aircraft and various trainers. Following retirement, he subsequently graduated from Northwestern State University in Natchitoches and became the Executive Director of Urban Renewal, Community Development and Federal Programs in Natchitoches. He then formed a private consultation and construction business. He was active in the United Methodist Church both locally and statewide, serving as a Certified Lay Leader, Administrative Board Chairman, Chairman of the Board of Trustees and delegate to the Annual Conference in Louisiana. His final church home was at Memorial Drive UMC in Houston, Texas. Services were held there Wednesday, Sept. 7 at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers and in honor of his lifetime affiliation with the Boy Scouts of America as an Eagle Scout with three Palms, the family requests that donations be made to the Worth Ranch Boy Scout Camp in Palo Pinto, Texas. Donations should be mailed to: “Send a Scout To Camp” C/O Longhorn Council BSA, PO Box 54190, Hurst, Texas, 76054. Alternatively, donations may also be made to the Men of Action Scholarship Program at Memorial Drive United Methodist Church, 12955 Memorial Drive, Houston, Texas, 77079.
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