We never wanted to write the story about the passing of our mother Kay. Her five children miss her already and face the passing of a generation as she joins our late father, Carroll Gray.

She passed away unexpectedly while recovering from hip surgery.

Kay was 100 % Irish and all that it entails. She was quick-witted, practical, and even-tempered. She kept a balanced perspective on faith, marriage, and family.

It takes a certain kind of person to raise five children. Kay was a laid back mom. While her priorities were always in order, perhaps her house was not. Happy chaos was Kay's speed. Punctuality did not matter.

She loved her red house on Manito Boulevard. Only strangers and nervous first dates rang the front door bell. Everyone else – the many friends, cousins, and neighbors – breezed through the back door.

She believed material things didn't matter much. When something broke, she shrugged her shoulders saying, "Accidents happen."

Kay believed some rules should be broken. In the Winter of 1969, she flaunted the dress code at St. Augustine by wearing pants at Mass. She told her daughters it was ridiculous to wear dresses in cold weather. Many who knew Kay would be shocked to hear that she once was arrested for a minor traffic infraction – with her five crying children in tow.

Kay was a lifelong Spokane resident. She and her brother, John, were lucky children who ice skated at Cannon Hill pond, rode horses, and shared a Buick convertible. She had a wonderful circle of friends, many of whom she met in first grade at St. Augustine School and later Holy Names Academy. Most of them are gone, but for the few who are reading this, thanks for being a lifelong friend.

Kay was one of the first X-ray technicians in the state of Washington until she landed the "best job in the world" as a travel agent at Global Travel in the Davenport Hotel lobby. This is where her future husband realized she was the same pretty brunette he had spotted in the courthouse, the church and the cocktail lounge. They married in 1958 and had five children in seven years – but only one set of Irish twins.

Their 50-year marriage was filled with fun. They enjoyed the little things in life. Friday nights at the Trio, the Studio K, and the Spokane Club were highlights. Trips to Lake Coeur d'Alene with the family kept them together and happy.

Kay was a founding member of AA – the Aging Assets Investment Club. With their profits, they traveled the world and owned a racehorse that one glorious day finished first at Playfair.

Kay was a proud Democrat with a savant-like knack for predicting election winners.

She weathered life's ups and downs. After a stroke hindered her ability to walk, she kept her stride (without the prescribed walker) explaining that she would eventually get where she was headed, but wouldn't get there quickly. When her husband died suddenly in 2009, she added more friendships and took up Mahjong. Her final years were spent at Touchmark on the South Hill, where she enjoyed Happy Hour, exercise classes and day trips with her new friends.  Whenever the residents and staff heard "Howdy Do", they always knew it was Kay Gray.

Kay is survived by her children: Gail Taylor (Paul), Tom Gray, Joe Gray (Stephanie), Peggy Merchant (Mike), and Teresa Reuter (Todd); eight grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated Tuesday, July 27 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Augustine Catholic Church. Interment at Fairview Cemetery in Rockford, WA followed immediately thereafter.