Mr. Jimmy Monroe Gray

Jimmy (James Monroe) Gray of West Point, peacefully left to be with his Lord and Savior at the age of 94 on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, at his home in West Point while in the care of his loving second wife, Beulah. Jimmy, the son of the late William “Bud” Gray and Judy Dell Edwards, Jimmy was born in Crawford, one of eight brothers and two sisters. He graduated from Artesia – Mayhew High School in April 1951 and was a football player on a squad with only thirteen players. Upon graduation, Jimmy “Red” Gray, as he was known at the time, accepted a football scholarship at East Mississippi Junior College from legendary Coach Bob Sullivan, as well as joining the MS National Guard upon Coach Sullivan’s urging to provide him spending money during his time with the team. Jimmy is probably best remembered as the “Golden Toe” for the Golden Lions football team, doing all the punting and field goal work as well as playing center on offense and tackle on defense. He only missed one field goal during his tenure at EMJC and on October 29, 2005, Jimmy Gray was inducted into the EMCC Sports Hall of Fame. After graduating from EMJC, Jimmy spent one year at Mississippi State University before joining the Army and was assigned to Ft. Sam Houston in Texas for two years. This was followed by a two-year assignment with NATO forces in Turkey for an additional two years. Jimmy’s final two-year assignment was in Washington, DC where he was honorably discharged from the Army in 1961. After Jimmy’s discharge from the Army, his skills learned there were recognized by another US governmental agency that would become his career for the remainder of his main working life, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). During his 20+ years with the CIA, Jimmy would travel the world, but would tell you his most exciting and enjoyable posting was to Australia. He held various passports, including the maroon US diplomatic passport issued to US diplomats worldwide. His work for the CIA actually involved work for the Navy, Army, Air Force, State Department, and other “alphabet agencies”, to help in the defense of the United States. Jimmy retired from the CIA in 1984. Upon his retirement he returned to MS and lived in Hattiesburg for a while until returning to the Starkville area. In 2014, Jimmy remarried a childhood friend, Beulah (Blankenship) Wray and moved to West Point, where they lived until his passing. He and Beulah were members of Calvary Baptist Church in West Point. In addition to his parents, Jimmy was preceded in death by his ex-wife, Tina (Parker) Gray, and six of his brothers and one of his sisters. He is survived by his wife, Beulah Gertrude Blankenship Wray Gray of West Point: his stepson, Bill Wray (Jan) of West Point: his stepdaughter, Vickie Hixon (Stu) of Woodstock, Georgia: his nephew, Robert Lee “Bubba” Gray, Jr. (Shirley) of Crawford: his niece, DeLynn Willard (Brian) of Crawford: his five step-grandchildren, Angie Thompson of Caledonia, Brad Wray (Mandy) of Ecru, Corey Wray (Ellen) of Platte City, Missouri, Dr. Shelby Hixon of Canton, Georgia, and Dr. Leah Hixon (Rush Hendricks) of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and finally his five step-great-grandchildren, Brandon Thompson and Carson Thompson of Caledonia: Russell Wray of Ecru: Garland Wray of Platte City, Missouri, and Raylan Excell (Hixon) of Canton, Georgia, and a sister, Fran Laufer of Annandale, Virginia. Jimmy is also survived by fourteen other nieces and nephews. Visitation will be Saturday, November 22, 2025, from 1:00-2:00 P.M. at Calvert Funeral Home in West Point. A Celebration of Life will follow at 2:00 P.M. from Calvert Funeral Home Chapel with Dr. James Towery officiating and assisted by Reverend Andy Parrish. Calvert Funeral Home of West Point is honored to be entrusted with the arrangements. Honorary Pallbearers will be the Deacons at Calvary Baptist Church in West Point, and his many friends at Bethesda Baptist Church in Crawford. Memorials may be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, Tennessee 38105, Calvary Baptist Church, 282 McCord Street, West Point, Mississippi 39773, or to Bethesda Baptist Church, 2096 Bethesda Road, Crawford, Mississippi 39743. Friends may leave an online condolence at www.calvertfuneralhome.com

Mr. Jimmy Monroe Gray

September 1, 1931 - November 4, 2025