John Lawrence Gray Jr

John L. Gray, Jr. December 1, 1953 – October 3, 2015 Atlanta John L. Gray, Jr. passed away on October 3, 2015 peacefully in his home after a 13-month battle with brain cancer. John was born in Cartersville, GA on December 1, 1953, the only son, and youngest child, of the late Anne Holtz Gray and J.L. “Pete” Gray. He attended high school as a boarding student at The Westminster Schools in Atlanta, graduating in 1972. He went on to earn his Bachelor’s Degree in English from Washington & Lee University in 1976. John taught fourth and fifth grade English at Woodward Academy for two years before moving into a career in Corporate Communications, Public Relations and Marketing. First with Koepnick & Horne and the Umphenour Agency; however, his career and passion was the thirty-two years he spent with the RTM Restaurant Group/Arby’s. John was so proud of the work he did for multiple brands – Arby’s, Mrs. Winner’s/LEE’S, Wendy’s and Shoney’s. John is survived by his wife and best friend, Elizabeth “Liz” DeBoor Gray; his son John L. Gray, III (Sarah), his daughter Elizabeth Winship Gray McEver (Hayward) and her children, William and Milly, all of Atlanta; two sisters Carol Gray Brown (Frank) of Rome, GA and Mary Gray Hart (Clark) of Cartersville. John had a special affection for his cousins from Wisconsin - Mary Beth, Katie, Rose, Fred and Annie, aka the Appleton Foxes. John admired, loved and respected his late cousins Bobby Rearden and Tom DeBray, who served as best man in his wedding. John was a long-time member of Capital City Club and Piedmont Driving Club; serving on the Capital City Club Governing Board as a Director for three years, sharing his expertise with the Food & Beverage Committee. John was kind and generous, with a quick smile and infectious laugh. He never met a stranger. A talented writer, John drafted short stories, poems, speeches and toasts that all evoked the exact, intended emotion for his audience. John was an avid sports fan, enjoying watching his Green Bay Packers and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Grant Field. He was passionate about attending the horse races, particularly at his favorite track – Keeneland in Lexington, KY. During his career at RTM, John served on the Board of Directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta; chaired the “Atlanta Dream Team” to help the 1996 Olympic bid effort; and supervised the direction of the Arby’s Charity Tour, raising over $50 million for the Arby’s Foundation and youth mentoring organizations throughout the United States. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, October 7 from 11:30AM-1:00PM at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 3003 Howell Mill Road, Atlanta, 30327. Funeral Service will follow at 1:00 PM. Visitation in Lexington, KY will be at St. Peter Catholic Church, 125 Barr Street, Lexington, 40507 on Friday, October 9 from 1:00PM – 2:00PM followed by a Funeral Mass and burial at Calvary Cemetery, 874 West Main Street, Lexington, KY 40508.

John Lawrence Gray Jr

December 1, 1953 - October 3, 2015