Ricky Lee Gray

Ricky Lee “Rick” Gray, age 60, husband of Denise Gobble Gray, and a resident of Mt. Pleasant, Tennessee, passed away on Monday, August 4, 2025, at his residence, surrounded by his family.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 9, 2025, at 2:00 PM at Heritage Funeral Home with Mike Tucker officiating. A visitation will also be held on Saturday from 12:00 – 2:00 PM at the funeral home. Heritage Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.

A native of Maury County, Tennessee, Rick was born on June 6, 1965, and was the son of the late William Edward Gray and the late Mary Elizabeth “Libbie” Kennedy Gray. He was a 1983 graduate of Mt. Pleasant High School and attended Freed-Hardeman University. On May 25, 1985, he married Denise in Gadsden, Alabama.

Rick was a former Church of Christ preacher who preached at various congregations throughout west and middle Tennessee including full-time minister at Plainview Church of Christ in Henderson and as associate minister at Beech Hill Church in Mt. Pleasant. Over the years at various times, he was afforded the privilege of delivering God’s word as a fill-in speaker for various congregations in Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama. He also enjoyed mission and evangelical work when possible, being part of campaigns and mission trips in Tennessee, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, and Nicaragua.

He was formerly employed at Rebel Truck Stop and Crews Printing Company where he loved working with and meeting so many wonderful people.

He enjoyed listening to all kinds of music, watching old movies, especially westerns, and he loved to sing. He found so much joy in exploring, learning and researching genealogy and history, especially the local history of Mt. Pleasant and Maury County.

He was a seventh-generation resident of Maury County, having traced his ancestry back to the beginning days of the county. He loved to work on his own family lines of genealogy but loved being able to help others when possible. He wrote several articles through the years on history and genealogy which appeared in newspapers and publications in both Tennessee and Kentucky. With his good friend and former boss, Philip Crews, he helped to edit and write portions of a book on the history of the Sandy Hook, Tennessee area called “Our Memories” about Sandy Hook, Pugh Town, Rockdale and Sheepneck as well as co-author and co-compiler with Irene Dugger of the Mt. Pleasant and Its Neighbors series of books for the Mt. Pleasant/Maury Museum of Local History.

He was an early contributor to the Southern Middle Tennessee Cemeteries website where he submitted many photos as well as histories of several cemeteries and genealogical information on many families buried within them. One of his greatest joys in his genealogical journey was getting to know and to help so many in their search, and to help organize a reunion of his mother’s side, the Kennedys, back in Kentucky where they emigrated from to Maury County, and traveling south to Alabama to see the town his father’s family emigrated from and the little church where the family worshipped each week – singing the old shape note music that members of the Gray family called it “Fa La La” singing.

He was a member of numerous organizations through the years including, Garrard County Historical Society (Kentucky), Maury County Historical Society, Lawrence County Historical Society Mt. Pleasant Civitan Club, Member of the Board of Directors of Mt. Pleasant/Maury Museum of Local History, Member of the Board of Directors of Hunter Cemetery (Mt. Pleasant).

In addition to his wife, he is survived by his children, Noelle Smith (Jonathan Hix) of Cookeville, Tennessee, Danielle Winchester (Matt Hutton) of Pulaski, Tennessee, Andrew Gray (Joyce Lindsey) of Mount Pleasant, Tennessee, grandchildren, Maks Smith and Levi Winchester, bonus grandchildren, Brittany, Brandon (Nevaeh), Bryson, MaryJane, Aya, bonus great grandchildren, Renley, Kaydee, Briar, special furbaby, Gizzy, siblings, Cathy (Gary) Bailey of Summertown, Tennessee, Mike (Brenda) Gaddes of Sandy Hook, Tennessee, Jeff (Donna) Gray of Sandy Hook, Tennessee, father and mother in law, Bob & Alona Gobble of Mobile, Alabama, brother and sister in law, Wayne (Susie) Gobble of Gadsden, Alabama, Penny (Darrell) Davis of Mobile, Alabama, special friends, Keffie Morrow, Joan Brooks, Steve & Naomi Kelley, Mike & Loretta Tucker, caregiver, Melissa Hicks, and numerous nephews, nieces, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

Along with his parents and grandparents, he was preceded in death by his nephew, Tristan Heatherly and good friend, Deanne Hendrix.

Honorary pallbearers will include, Mike & Loretta Tucker, Ann Crews, Steve & Naomi Kelley, Danny & Laarni Douglas, Terry & Sandy Kelley, Keffie Morrow, Joan Brooks, Nikki McKennon, Jim Winchester, Randy & Laurie Winchester, Marty & Barbara Smith, Jim & Angel Jones, Vayna Clements, Rusty & Libby Colvett, Scotty & Denise Moore, Cecil Wayne Austin, Charlotte Colvett, Janice Dill, Harold Richardson, Kim Boshers, members of Beech Hill Church of Christ, employees and staff of the Medical Group of Columbia, employees and staff of Vanderbilt Heart—Columbia, Richard Douglas Kennedy, M.D.; Arvindh N. Kanagasundram, M.D., Cesar Y. Cardona, M.D.; Natalie Rose Castillo, APRN; Ralph E. Hamilton, MD; John McRae, MD; Rebecca Rae Hung, MD; Anthony Khim, M.D.; Robert McClure, MD; John Welker, MD, Gretchen Nelson, FNP and staff; Amedysis and Gentiva Hospice and staff, Tim Brashears, and Members of the Class of 1983 at MPHS, and finally, his “adopted” kids – Melody Winchester, Stacia Buckner, Brittany Stapish, Matt Gibson, Carol Ann Hendrix, Brandon Eastep, Lee Runions, Tony Cristobal.