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1924 Logan 2020

Logan Gray

July 30, 1924 — September 10, 2020

Lorton, NE

Logan Jesse Gray

Logan Jesse Gray was born on July 30, 1924 in Lorton, Nebraska to parents Chester Arthur Gray and Louie Lodema Pember Gray.  His dad owned a general store and lumber yard there.  The family moved to Sterling, Colorado where the family owned and ran Gray’s Court Cottages.  The entire family pitched in to run the cottages and gas station.  They then moved to Loveland, Colorado where his dad was a respected businessman and his mother nurtured the family and a large garden.  His siblings were Gloria Gray Wall, Bill Gray and Janet Gray Mitchell.

In his senior year of high school, he enlisted in the Navy on 12/27/42 as a petty officer, 3rd class.  His aircraft carrier, the Pybus, did anti-submarine patrol in the Atlantic and went to Brazil, Karachi, Pakistan around Africa to the Indian Ocean and Madagascar.  On July 2, 1944, one of their aircraft sank a German sub.  In 1945, the Pybus was turned over to the British and he transferred to the USS Wake Island which sailed to the Philippines and the forthcoming invasion of Luzon. On February 14, 1945, they sailed to Iwo Jima.  For 24 consecutive days, they flew spotting sorties for the heavy bombardment group that shelled shore installations on the island.  On March 25, they arrived at Okinawa to support the landings.  April 3 at 17:42, his ship was hit by a Kamikaze, ripping a hole in the side 45 feet long and 18 feet high below the water line.  On April 6, they set a course for Guam for repairs which lasted thru May 20.  They then headed back to Okinawa to resume their mission of supporting the troops on the island.  He stayed there supplying planes and crews to Yonton Field Okinawa until February 1946.

Logan had an adventurous spirit, flying a bi-plane and riding an Indian motorcycle.  While riding one day, he met a friend who invited him to ride in his car.  They saw William Marriott walking home from work and offered to give him a ride home.  Lois Marriott came to the door to see who had driven up and it was love at first sight for Logan.  Lois thought he was a little too wild for her, but he soon won her over.  They were married on July 4, 1948 in Riverton, Wyoming.  Logan worked construction before hiring on at the Thayers farm in Ft. Collins where he worked until hiring on with United Airlines.  With two children, Gary born in 1949 and Cindy born in 1952, Logan and Lois moved to Sunnyvale, California to start his job with United.  Logan was 27 and the hiring age for pilots was 25 or under so he attended Stanford to earn his aeronautical engineering degree while training and working as an A and E mechanic.  Kathy was born in 1956 in Redwood City, California. In 1959, he was able to transfer back to Denver, Colorado and the family settled in a new home in Aurora, Colorado.

When Gary joined Civil Air Patrol, Logan was asked to join as an instructor.  So he became a lieutenant and taught the cadets about flying, navigation, weather and being upstanding young men.  He flew many search and rescue missions in the mountains, looking for downed aircraft.

Logan and Lois had 72 wonderful years of marriage and taught the rest of the family what love looks like.  He is survived by his loving wife, two daughters, 4 grandchildren, and 11 great-grandchildren.  He passed away on September 10th at 10:00 pm at home and will be missed by all who knew him.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests a charitable contribution to Aurora First Presbyterian Church, 1585 Kingston St, Aurora CO, 80010.

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