Rozetta Gray

Life’s Journey

To plant a seed in one’s heart….to root it in love…..O nourish it with time spent together….Yields a blossom that will flourish forever.

Rozetta Jack McGaughy Gray was born on October 7, 1934 in St. Joseph, MO to her proud parents, Robert, Sr. and Agnes McGaughy. Rose was the sixth of nine children and was raised in love surrounded by her brothers, Robert, Jr., Arthur, Sr. and Thomas, Sr., and her sisters Norma Lee, Mable, Frances, Carolyn and Carrie. As a child, our parents always talked about what a beautiful, brown, sweet baby she was….always calm and even tempered. That calmness and even temper would serve her well throughout her life. Rose received her elementary through high school education at Bartlett High School in St. Joseph. She was baptized into the church at an early age by Reverend C.P. Morrow. Rose was very active in church and really loved to share her knowledge of the Bible with all who were willing to listen. Her profound Faith was a cornerstone and guiding light for her life. She leaned on her Faith through many a dark time and reveled in it knowing that it would see her through the storm.

Rose married Lewis Gray, Jr. as a very young woman during the early fifties in St. Joe, but, alas, the marriage ended in divorce. She then moved to Denver around 1966 where she would go on to earn an Associate’s Degree in the Secretarial Arts. Rose used her degree to secure work at several businesses and organizations around the city including, Swedish Memorial Hospital, Shorter A.M.E. Church and the Veteran’s Administration Hospital, where she worked for many years. When our mother became gravely ill, Rose transferred her position to the VA Hospital in Missouri to help care for her. As fate would have it, Rose and Lewis reconnected, rekindled their romance and remarried! Rose became a proud step-mother to Patricia Gray and Lewis Gray, III.

Our Rose was a fun loving woman who loved to dance, play cards, do back bends…..and party. Oh my, did she love to party! Entertaining was an art form to Rose. She was meticulous in planning everything from the decor to the menu to the music….everything had to be just right to ensure that a good time was had by all. Rose and Lewis belonged to many different clubs and organizations so she had to be able to appeal to a wide variety of tastes. Whether she was planning for a more sedate, non-secular event or for a more (ahem!) secular affair, she knew, exactly, what would most please her guests. She was a fantastic cook with a keen eye for style, a talent for creating ambiance and would not hesitate to share her skills and bounty with anyone who asked.

Over the years, Rose has shown a generosity of spirit that was highly valued by every life she touched. In Denver, she was and member of King Baptist Church and in St. Joe, she belonged to St. Francis. She taught Sunday school, served on many church boards and committees and provided loving guidance for those who reached out to her. She was always moved to help others in need in any way that she could. She never believed that an act of kindness was small…..no matter what the act….whether it was a ride, second hand clothes, spare change or a listening ear…..it was meaningful to someone. All of our lives are richer for having had the pleasure to have her in our lives.

Rozetta Jack departed this life to the embrace of the Lord on August 28, 2019, in Denver, Colorado. She was preceded in death by her husband, Lewis Gray, Jr.; step-daughter, Patricia Gray; parents, Robert, Sr. and Agnes McGaughy; brothers, Robert McGaughy, Jr., Arthur McGaughy, Sr. and Thomas McGaughy, Sr.; sisters Norma Lee Brown and Mable Brown. Those left to cherish her memory include her loving and devoted sisters, Frances Thomas (St. Joseph), Carolyn (Ralph, Sr.) Harris and Carrie (Albert, Sr.) May both of Denver; step-son Lewis Gray, III, granddaughter, Deidre, grandson Derek, great grandchildren and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

As pretty as a Rose to see was her life she lived so gracefully. She made things precious by her touch; her selfless love lives on in each of us. The petals of her life fell one by one; each a gift of her heart ’til there were none. Yet her radiance blooms once again in fields of glory with no end.

Visitation : September 3, 2019 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Pipkin Braswell Chapel of Peace
6601 Colfax Avenue
Denver, CO 80220
(303) 996-0869

Celebration of Life : September 5, 2019 10:00 am

Mierhoffer Funeral Home
5005 Frederick Ave
St. Joseph, MO 64506

Interment : September 5, 2019 12:00 pm

Leavenworth National Cemetery
150 Muncie Rd
Leavenworth, KS 66048