Obituary of Jean Gray
Gray, Ursula “Jean”- It is with heavy hearts that the family of Jean Gray (née Beck) announces her peaceful passing which occurred on Saturday, August 17, 2024, at Shannex Embassy Hall, surrounded by the love of her family at the formidable age of 97. Jean was born on June 25, 1927, in Appletreewick, England and was the daughter of the late Joseph Harold Beck and Phyllis Mary Beck (née Wallace). The family arrived in Halifax as Landed Immigrants in 1930.
The family then made their way to Hoyt, New Brunswick, where Jean got to grow up on a farm. This was the backdrop for many stories shared with her children over the years, from hay jumping from the barn rafters with her siblings, to swimming lessons in the nearby river from her mother, the treks (“walking because there were no school buses in our time!”) to and from school, and of course working hard to help her parents run the farm. It was during her farm chores where she would swipe pieces of salt lick intended for the cows, as a treat for herself, which led her in her adult life to adding salt to anything and everything.
When Jean reached adulthood, she became the loving mother to 6 children: Heather Ann Muzzerall (deceased), Sheldon Richard “Rick” Snow, Andrea Dawn Duffield, William Andrew “Bill” Gray, Walter Joseph Gray, and Deborah “Debby” Michele Jackson, as well as her many beloved grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
She will be remembered as an adoring mother, one who had a particular fondness for helping with her children’s school projects. They were often sent to school with the best ones, curtesy of Jean’s inspired creativity. Whether she was knitting communities of cave people, building igloos from wax, or collecting moss, rocks, and birch bark from the woods on the side of roads, she did it all. Jean was always proud of her children’s projects and would be eager to know the mark they had received with the help of her handy work.
Jean was also a great seamstress, which showed in the custom clothes she made for her kids and of course the girls’ Barbies. Alongside sewing, knitting was her preferred pass time. If you were lucky enough to know her later in life, chances are you were gifted with a number of yarn dolls.
Jean had a fondness for animals, nurtured by her dear friend Joan. From going out to the fields behind her house to help Joan find her raccoons to feeding foxes together at Fernhill cemetery, Jean’s love for animals was strong. It was no surprise when Jean started taking in and caring for numerous stray cats around the neighbourhood.
When she wasn’t ensuring her children got top marks on projects, or adventuring with animals, you may have found Jean baking everything you could think of - each creation more delicious than the last. Wild blueberries from Champlain Heights got turned into upside down blueberry cake, the crab apples from the tree in her yard were painstakingly turned into various jellies and pies. Rhubarb pies, cookies galore, and cakes were staples in her house.
During her working years, Jean was an administrative assistant for a physician in Saint John and then went on to babysit children in her Champlain Heights home for over 20 years. It is not uncommon for her children to meet people who say, “I think your mom used to babysit me!”, and hear stories told with a fond smile.
She was devoted to her church, St. Luke’s in the North End of Saint John where later in life she even taught Sunday school. Jean was a longtime member of TOPS where she loved the friends she made and always enjoyed their weekend trips as well as the Wednesday night weigh-ins which were followed with their weekly reward supper. In her quiet time Jean enjoyed gardening, watching gameshows, reading, and playing BINGO.
She is survived by five of her children: Rick, Andrea, Bill, Walter, and Debby; siblings Frank Beck, Brian Beck, Kay Cormier, and Joyce Hamilton; and many beloved grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Jean is predeceased by both her first and second husbands, Sheldon Snow and Walter Gray, respectively; her daughter, Heather, daughter-in-law, Wendy; and several brothers and sisters: Olive Nancy Cleal, Barbara Hogarth, Marjorie MacArthur, Margaret Gilby, John Beck, Joseph Beck, Gladys Kirkpatrick, Geoffrey Beck, and James Beck.
Arrangements are under the care of Kennebecasis Funeral Home, 152 Pettingill Rd. Quispamsis (506-849-2119). In keeping with Jean’s wishes there will be no visitation or funeral service. At a later date, friends and family will be invited to a celebration of life. For those who wish, donations to the Alzheimer’s Society of New Brunswick or a charity of the donor’s choice would be appreciated by the family.
Her family would like to thank the staff of both Shannex Concord Hall and Shannex Embassy Hall for the many years of care that they provided for Jean and continuing that care in her more stubborn moments. They would also like to acknowledge the many friends Jean made while at the Shannex especially her dining table friends over those years - even when her words were sparse, she enjoyed their company very much. And as a final word from Jean to the staff and her friends: “I’m going to have party in St. Martin’s, and you’re all invited.”
