Walter J. Gray

Walter J. Gray of Kingston, RI, age 96, a former University of Rhode Island administrator, South Kingstown Town Council President and State Senator has died on June 23, 2024. He was the husband for 70 years of Mary A. (Cozzolino) Gray, He was born in Woonsocket, RI the son of the late John and Alice (Naylor) Gray.

Mr. Gray is also survived by his two sons, Walt, in Sacramento, California and his wife Monica and Tim of Kingston, and his wife, Sheila and 8 grandchildren, Ryan and Matthew Gray of Warwick, Abby, Kelly and Joseph Gray of Sacramento, Shannon and Kyle Brassil and Nora Gray of Kingston.

A graduate of Mount Saint Charles Academy, he was an army veteran and a 1951 graduate of Boston University. He was an assistant purser for Grace Line, Inc. sailing from New York to South American ports before joining the Providence Journal as a state staff reporter in Westerly, RI 1952. He and his wife founded the East Providence Post weekly newspaper in 1955 and oversaw its growth until 1959 when he was named press secretary to Governor Christopher Del Sesto. In 1960 he was appointed assistant professor of communications in the university’s College of Agriculture and subsequently served as public relations officer prior to assuming the title of Assistant to the President. He later took a leave of absence in 1966 to 68 to become a foreign service officer assigned to New Delhi, India. Upon his return to URI he became the Director of the Division of Marine Resources at the Graduate School of Oceanography. In 1978 he received the URI President's Award for Administrative Excellence.

He also served, variously, as president of the Kingston Potter Trust of the R.I Foundation, President of Christ the King Church Parish Council, member of the State of R.I. Trade Mission to Japan and the Governor’s Council on Tourism. He was an adjunct professor at Bryant University from 1995 to 2000, teaching courses on crisis management and business ethics.

He was a former president of the board of directors of the Courthouse Center for the Arts and past president of the Narragansett Chamber of Commerce. He was a member of the South Kingstown Town Council from 1970 to 1974, serving as president from 1972-1974. He was elected to the R.I. State Senate in 1990 and served two terms.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Saturday, June 29th at 10 AM in Christ the King Church, 180 Old North Rd, Kingston. Burial will be private. Calling hours for Walter will be held Friday, June 28th from 4 to 6 PM in the Avery-Storti Funeral Home, 88 Columbia St., Wakefield.

To view Walter's live stream visit https://youtube.com/live/IIu6CtcBn0k?feature=share