John Bullard Gray, retired president of Dennison Manufacturing,worked his way up through management during 40 years with thecompany.
'He had more skill as a humanist than anybody I ever met,' saidretired Dennison chief executive Nelson S. Gifford. 'He could sensepeople's desires, their strengths and shortcomings, and he couldwork around them.'
Mr. Gray of South Dartmouth died of complications of Parkinson'sdisease June 14 at St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford. He was 82 andserved as director of several other major companies during hiscareer.
'He was the best of the Grays,' said his oldest brother Morris,89, of Westwood. 'He was the best athlete of all of us. He was thebest golfer and the best leader.'
Born into Boston's upper crust in 1927 and reared on MarlboroughStreet in the Back Bay, Mr. Gray did not want a life of leisure.
He joined the Marines at 18 and later honed a reputation inindustry as a devoted manager and executive.
'He was part of the Boston Brahmins,' Gifford said.
'He never had to work a day in his life if he didn't want to. Buthe did. He came in at a quarter till 8 and stayed until 6 everynight.'
Gifford said Mr. Gray was more like his partner during decadesworking together at Dennison than his subordinate. They eventuallyoversaw the company's merger in 1990 to become Avery Dennison Corp.,based in Pasadena, Calif.
'He was a modest man,' Gifford said. 'He never tried to puthimself ahead by putting other people down.'
Mr. Gray's father, Francis Calley Gray, was president ofFiduciary Trust Co. in Boston, and his mother, Helen Rotch Bullard, was a descendant of William Rotch Jr., who owned a whaling fleet inNew Bedford and built a mansion now used as a museum called theRotch-Jones-Duff House.
Mr. Gray grew up in an era when horse-drawn wagons broughtgroceries and milk to the Back Bay and bootleggers delivered alcoholto the back door, his brother Morris said. The three Gray boysenjoyed playing baseball on the Esplanade and skating on BostonCommon.
Mr. Gray was a better student than his brothers Frank and Morris,Morris said.
He went to elementary school at the Dexter School in Brooklineand graduated from St. Mark's School in Southborough in 1945.
He joined the Marines and served in China as a military policeofficer at the end of World War II. He earned his bachelor's degreeat Harvard in 1949 and a master's in business administration fromHarvard in 1951.
He was married for 60 years to Virginia (Hamilton). They met asteenagers during summer vacations in Nonquitt, family members said.
They brought up their children in Dover, where they lived for 52years. Mr. Gray served as a selectman and chairman of the town'sFinance Committee.
He loved golf and tennis and was a member of the Dedham Countryand Polo Club, where he served as president and governor.
Mr. Gray was a devoted fan of Boston sports. Early on, he hadseason tickets to the Patriots and rarely missed tuning into Red Soxgames.
He told his sons that he received hitting tips from Red Sox greatTed Williams as a boy when his father arranged for him to spend anafternoon in the Red Sox dugout.
'That was one of the highlights of his life,' said his son JohnJr. of Redding, Conn.
During his business career, Mr. Gray also served as a director ofthe State Street Bank Corp., Liberty Mutual Insurance Co., EG&G Inc.of Wellesley, which later merged with Perkin-Elmer, Stackpole Corp.,the Reece Corp., and Butler Automatic.
He climbed the ranks at Dennison, becoming director and vicepresident in 1968, senior vice president in 1972, and executive vicepresident in 1979. He retired in 1990 after five years as presidentand chief operating officer.
Mr. Gray also served as a trustee of the New England Aquarium,the Regional YMCA, the New England Shelter for Homeless Veterans,the Executive Service Corp., and Wentworth Institute of Technologyin Boston, where he received an honorary doctorate in engineeringtechnology.
'He was a wonderful guy,' said his son David M. of Baltimore. 'Hespent a lot of his free time just trying to give back to thecommunity.'
In addition to his wife, two sons, and oldest brother, Mr. Grayleaves a daughter, Lucinda Carey of New Canaan, Conn.; sevengrandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held tomorrow at 11 a.m. in GraceChurch in New Bedford. Burial will be in Highland Cemetery inDover.
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