Obituary of Marjorie Cox Gray

Marjorie Adair Cox Gray, 95, of Bluewater Bay (Sunset Beach), Niceville, FL passed away on January 10, 2022 in Florida.  She was born in Rock Hill, SC, moving to Charlotte, NC as an infant, and lived in Charlotte for 69 years before moving to the Northwest Florida Panhandle in 1996.  The last 28 years that she lived in Charlotte, she resided in the Dilworth Community that she loved so much.

She is survived by her loving son, Hugh Edward "Buck" Gray of Alpharetta, GA.  She was preceded in death by her husband of 44 years, Edward L. Gray;  and her parents, Jennings M. and Miriam King Cox.

A member of Covenant Presbyterian Church since 1968, she was a regular non-member of First Presbyterian Church of Niceville, FL.  Marjorie graduated from Mercy School of Nursing and did her graduate work at Duke and UNC-Charlotte.  Her medical career encompassed serving as assistant to the Director of Nurses at Mercy, Director of Nursing at Mecklenburg County American Red Cross, President and Owner of Home Health Care (which proved to be ahead of the times), and as Nurse-Health Educator with Esso Standard Oil Company.  After three years in the medical area she moved into Human Resources and retired from Exxon Company, USA (Houston) in 1986.  Beginning in 1981, she was a member of Annuitant Affairs, working directly with the retirees and spouses of the company nation-wide.

While at Mercy in the 1940s, she developed a junior nurse program that came to be known as "Candy Stripers," that brought national attention.

Believing that one should always give back to their community, Marjorie's volunteer activities were very extensive and she received many honors for them, both in Charlotte and Okaloosa County, FL.

From childhood forward, when one described Marjorie, they would say, "she is caring and visionary."  She would like to be remembered as a person who truly cared and made a difference.

Services and interment will be private.

Memorial contributions may be made to OWCC Foundation, 100 College Blvd., Niceville, FL 32578 for the Marjorie Cox Gray Nursing Scholarships or Gray Medical Computer Lab.