BARBARA SUE (HAGY) GRAY

BARBARA SUE (HAGY) GRAY was born to Frederick and Florence (Miller) Hagy on October 2, 1949, in Waterloo, Iowa.  She was welcomed home by her two older sisters, Janice and Marilyn.  Barbie graduated from West High School in 1966.  Post graduation, she pursued a degree in nursing.  After receiving her Licensed Practical Nurse certification, she moved to Arizona.

While spending a day at the pool at her apartment complex in 1972, she met her future sister-in-Law, Susan.  Barb was introduced to the love of her life, Lt. Thomas Edward Gray, shortly after.  They married one year and five days after they met in Glendale, AZ.  With Tom in the Air Force, they moved rather frequently. 

In July of 1976, while stationed in Cheyenne, WY, her daughter Amy was born.  Two years later, they moved to Abilene, TX where her son, Brian was born in December of 1978.  The family then moved to Anchorage, AK.  Barb and Tom always loved to travel.  While living there, the family spent many weekends over 3.5 years there touring scenic Alaska in their motorhome.  Barb also spent some time selling wicker baskets, unique home décor (have you ever heard of an oosik?)  moose poop and ivory jewelry in the evenings.  The spring of 1984 took the family to Felton, DE.  Once again, the family took many weekend trips to places like Washington, DC, Baltimore, Virginia Beach, and New York City.  Barb also renewed her nursing license and went back to work after being a stay-at-home mom with her children.  When Tom retired from the Air Force in the spring of 1989, she discovered her favorite way of traveling.  The family went on their first of many cruises.

When Tom retired, the family moved to Aurora, CO where he had grown up.  Barb worked at many long-term care facilities over the next decades.  Barb and Tom continued their cruising habit and were able to visit Europe, the Panama Canal, the Caribbean, and their final cruise was to Hawaii.  Shortly after returning home, on February 20, 2002, Tom passed away very suddenly.  Barb mourned his death every day of her remaining life.  Barb had always been surrounded by great friends and kept herself busy with Bunco groups, bowling, and playing golf.  She was also able to spend a lot of time with the grandkids that came in the next few years.  Barb and Annabelle were quite inseparable for a very long time.

Barb moved to Limon in the fall of 2017.  It was here that she developed her busiest social life yet.  Between church events, weekly card games, Bingo, Ageless Angels, and some of her granddaughters’ events, Barb was rarely at home.  Barb also made some of her best friends here. 

Tom always said she was one of the strongest people he knew.  Since his passing, Barb survived breast cancer, a knee replacement, and several other minor surgeries.  She went into her heart surgery with hopes of improving her quality of life once again.  While the heart surgery was successful, her body was not as strong as we all thought it was and couldn’t keep up with her remodeled heart.  With her children holding her hands, she entered eternal rest and was reunited with Tom on Monday, December 2, 2024.

Barbara was preceded in death by her parents, Fred and Flo Hagy, her beloved husband, Tom, her sister Jan, and her parents-in-law, Quentin Gray and Laura Binder. 

She is survived by her daughter, Amy (Jason) Vice, son, Brian (Chelsea) Gray, Grandchildren Skyler and Aubrie Vice, Annabelle, Logan, and Beatrice Gray, Sister, Marilyn (Dave) Olson, Tom’s siblings and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Memorial services were held on Tuesday, December 10, 2024 at the Limon Methodist Church in Limon.  Memorial contributions should be made to the Limon Methodist Church; Box 178; Limon, CO  80828. 

Friends and family can register online condolences and sign the guestbook at www.brownfuneraldirectors.com.  Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the care of the Brown Funeral Home in Hugo, CO.