GRAY, Waldo Eugene "Walt" - b. September 29, 1941 - d. May 31, 2018

[patyrn]

Waldo E. "Walt" Gray passed away on May 31, 2018 at the age of 76 in Colorado from cancer.  He was born on September 29, 1941 in Eureka, Kansas to Jack and Rosie Gray of Howard, Kansas. 

Waldo's very early childhood was spent in Howard, and then the family moved to Independence, Missouri in 1946 after his father returned from military service during World War II.  He graduated from William Chrisman High School in Independence in 1959 and then graduated from the University of Central Missouri in 1972 with a Bachelor of Science in Business degree with an accounting major.  He continued on at Missouri State University and earned a Master of Business Administration degree in 1981.

Waldo enlisted in the United States Army as a Private during the height of the Vietnam  War and served eighteen months at Coffat Compound and Tan Son Nhut Air Base in that theater.  He also served three years active duty in Heidelberg, Germany and eighteen months in Bangkok, Thailand and stateside in Missouri.  Additional assignments were at Fort Ord, California, Fort Benning, Georgia, and Fort Harrison, Indiana.  In 1975, he was employed in a civilian capacity by the Air Force Accounting and Finance Office at McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas.  While employed at McConnell AFB, he was the commander of the 368th Finance Section, an Army reserve unit in Wichita, Kansas.  In 1980, he moved to Denver, Colorado where he worked for the Air Force Accounting and Finance Center at Lowry Air Force Base.  He was a Lieutenant Colonel by the time he retired from the United States Army Reserve in 2001.  At the time of his civilian retirement in 2002, he was employed by the Department of Defense Finance and Accounting Service, Denver office.  He and his wife both retired from this office on the same day in 2002. 

Waldo and Chun Y. "June" Kang were married in July 1981 in Boulder, Colorado.  He had a lifetime interest in history and railroading and was a longtime member of the Kansas State Historical Society and several local historical societies in southeast Kansas.  He was a historical contributor to two Kansas newspapers, writing a number of articles for each.  At the time of his death, he was a prolific contributor to a web site commemorating the history of Independence, Missouri as well as being a moderator and contributor to a historical website commemorating Elk County, Kansas. 

Waldo and June resided in Centennial, Colorado at the time of his death.  Besides his wife, June, he is survived by his stepdaughter, Diane M. Cannon of Denver, Colorado and one sister, Connie Rockstad of Concrete, Washington,  His father passed away in 2006 and his mother in 2013.  A funeral service will be held on June 7, 2018 at 10:30 a.m. at Olinger Chapel Hill Mortuary and Cemetery in Centennial, Colorado.  Burial will be held at Fort Logan National Cemetery in Denver, Colorado. 

(taken from the Olinger Chapel Hill Mortuary & Cemetery website)

[Janet Harrington]

Wow, Waldo. What a distinguished career you had. Prayers for the family you
left behind. It was good knowing you and I so enjoyed your writings on the Elk County Forum.