Remembering Bill Gray, Sept. 25, 1921-Jan. 25, 2011

Bill Gray died in January at the age of 89 years old. He was, in the words of hiking and climbing friends, a perfect melding of strength and kindness, understanding, humor and generosity. Everyone has a Bill story; how he figured out a route, how he carried an extra pack, how he stayed behind to help a tired hiker. And his dazzling smile always lit up the room when Bill appeared.

Born as William Joseph Gray, III, in Los Angeles, Bill attended school in L.A. and later a Jesuit seminary in Washington. Leaving the seminary, he pursued a career in aerospace, predominantly at Hughes Aircraft. He was very active in the Sierra Club after taking Basic Mountaineering Training Course (BMTC) with daughter Rita in 1979. From that point on, he went on to get his leadership rating and served in various management positions in the Desert Peaks Section (DPS), while climbing peaks in DPS, SPS, and HPS. After marrying Keats Hayden, he and Keats were active in the Orange County Canyon Explorers' Section where they hiked and climbed all over the country. Not only did Bill love his hiking days, but he was always working on projects, building, reworking, and reorganizing some better system for home or yard. He read extensively and contributed time and effort to various charities.

We join his wife and best friend of twenty-five years, Keats, and his four children, fifteen grandchildren, and great grandchildren in remembering Bill as one who enhanced our lives.