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Joseph Michael Gray, 80

Heaven has gained a leprechaun as Joseph Gray, of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, passed away on Oct. 24, 2018. Joe fought the good fight, but in the end, his little body could take no more. As Hunter Thompson said, “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ‘Wow! What a Ride!’” Mr. Thompson must have been thinking of Joe when he wrote that, as Joe had many crazy adventures and the scars to prove it!

Joe was born in Coeur d’Alene on June 9, 1938, to Wyatt and Ruth Gray. He grew up in the Fort Grounds area, with brothers Wyatt Jr., Bill, Jack, Pat and Mike and sisters Gloria, Gilda and Julie. After a stint in the Army in the early 1960s he returned home to work with his brothers as a welder and millwright extraordinaire. Grayco built sawmills and installed equipment all over the Northwest, including many of the “teepee burners” that used to be common. Joe was famous for his ability to “MacGyver” anything that needed fixed.

In 1965 Joe married Judy Overby, taking her two children as his own even as they added two more to the flock. Although they later divorced, he never loved another and remained as involved as possible in his children’s lives.

Joe never wanted material possessions. Instead, he enjoyed people and adventures. He loved fishing and hunting, especially hunting camp! Even when they couldn’t hunt anymore, he and his brother, Jack, would “take their rifles for a ride” just because they enjoyed it. He could always be counted on to join in for beer drinking and storytelling and never turned down a road trip. Joe had an uncanny feel for directions; he never forgot a road once he’d been on it. He and his brothers all liked to drive, just to get out and see the country. In his later years, he and his daughter, Tori, had their own adventures on various road trips, including some unplanned ones as they took “the scenic way” home.

Joe was Irish and loved dressing up as a leprechaun each year for St. Patrick’s Day. He anchored many of the infamous St. Paddy’s celebrations at the family’s Fort Ground Tavern. After the Tavern was sold, he moved his socializing to the Lakers Inn, where he had many friends who could set their watches based on the time Joe showed up for his afternoon PBR. He also made an awesome elf at Christmas!

As the years began to take their toll on Joe, he stubbornly maintained his independence, living on his own until the end. He was tough as nails and despite a long list of medical issues he just carried on, adapting as needed so that he could keep doing the things he loved.

Joe is survived by his children, Tony (Samantha), Tori (Tim), Stephanie (Rob) and Joe Jr. (Penni) as well as his grandchildren, Courtney, Kianne, Kelsie, Sam, Rilee and Sara, who will greatly miss their Papa Joe. He is also survived by his brother, Pat and his wife, Mimi; sister, Julie; sisters-in-law, Mary, Phyllis and Pam; and many nieces and nephews who all adored their Uncle Joe.

A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 27, 2018, at English Funeral Chapel in Coeur d’Alene. There will be a gathering for family and friends at Paddy’s afterward. The family prefers memorials to St. Vincent de Paul. Please view and sign Joe’s online guest book at www.englishfuneralchapel.com