Obituaries & Tributes

Charlotte Maxine (Lynch) Gray – July 8, 1944 – Jan. 2, 2022

Charlotte Maxine (Lynch) Gray passed peacefully early Jan. 2, 2022 from a lifelong battle of diabetes and recent liver cancer diagnosis. 

Born July 8, 1944, the eldest child of Dan and Doris (Jeffers) Lynch, grandparents William and Gertrude (Barnum) Lynch, and Ira and Bertha (Luce) Jeffers. She is also preceded in death by Gloria Sundahl, sister. Surviving are Dennis (Julie) Lynch of Grand Ronde, Jenny Jones of Winston, Cindy Diaz of Nevada, husband Jim Gray of Philomath, stepdaughter Lori of Arizona, aunts, uncle, nieces, nephews, many cousins, dear friends and her beloved dog Roxie. We are deeply grateful to cousins Janet Taggert and Dianne Cunningham, who Charlotte was very close to and there to help in many ways.

Charlotte graduated from Thurston High in 1962, then attended Springfield Beauty College, receiving her beautician license. She worked locally and had her dark hair bleached and dyed lavender for a hair trade show, again pink for another show. Her father was far from pleased! She moved north to the Albany area where she met Jim Gray. They married Feb. 14, 1976, and later settled on the family acreage in Philomath. They joined the Mary’s River Grange, holding various offices. 

Charlotte made silk flower corsages and boutonnieres for the Grange and state Grange conventions. She loved making all the floral arrangements for her nephew Kevin’s wedding in 2001. Many of us are recipients of Charlotte’s wood crafting and painting skills. She attended craft fairs, making friends and visiting old ones. She longed to show her skills at the Scandinavian Festival in Junction City but just missed the cut.

Because of her lineage through the Jeffers family, she was an Elder of the Grand Ronde Confederated Tribe and attended many of their activities over the years. She enjoyed gambling at the casinos or just playing a good card game with others.

She had a deep love for family and will be deeply missed not only daily but at the Jeffers’ annual reunion started July 4, 1949. She loved going around with a big smile visiting with as many as she could, Pepsi in her hand!

Due to Covid, her ashes will be interned and celebration of life will be later this summer at Grand Ronde Tribal grounds. Charlotte loved flowers, dogs and cats. In her memory, buy a flower plant of choice and remember her or give it to your local humane society; she would be pleased. Treasure her, your pictures and memories of her.

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