Barry Gray Obituary

Dad Today marks 1week. It's been hard to say. I miss u and love u very much. Tell Nan I love n miss her too.

Pop, there´s not a single message I can leave to express how much I miss you. Looking at your pictures breaks my heart. I always said I just wanted to hear stories, have time with you and pictures. You gave me a photo album over 15 years ago and I´m so grateful. I know that nobody lives forever but no matter what, we ALL take the time with the ones we love for granted because we never think about life without them. It´s been less than a week and it still feels like yesterday that I saw you, that you were laughing with me and my family. When really it´s only been a week since I watched you sleep, since you said your final `I love you´ to me. I´ll never forget it, I´m grateful the aide woke you so I can have that memory. I don´t know where we go once we pass, but I hope you´re with Nan and Dave. Since your passing I find myself looking out the window often just watching the night sky in hopes to see a shooting star or something that `ain´t ours.´ Because it reminds me of you. Draven misses you. He´s never lost someone that he knows and remembers so it´s hard. But he told me while I was crying `mommy, it will be okay. He´s always here. He´s not really gone, you just can´t see him.´ And he´s right but it broke me even more. So I hope you´re sailing away, seeing Nan, going to those Swiss Alps, and watching over him because he´s hurt too. But most of all, I hope you´ve found peace. I love you, I love you so much!

Pop. The only thing I ever asked for was time with you, stories and for us to watch our shows. I didn´t ask for anything but just that. Listening to the stories and hearing you say you believed the same things as I do made me feel seen. I´ll never forget coming by to visit and you said `Ali, do you know how to wash windows? It´s very dirty and I just can´t get it.´ Sure, I´m not a pro but I was able to make it something you could see through. You laughed and said `that´s the worst window cleaning job I´ve ever seen.´ Lol. I´ll never forget your face when I brought my son to see you a few days after leaving the hospital. That memory like so many others is burned into my mind just like the sound of your laugh. I´ll never forget the last dream you told Chad and I about. It was so funny that I still find myself laughing about it when we talk about it. I´m grateful my mom took care of you all these years because that meant we had you longer with us. I´m grateful for the times we´ve had. And before you got really bad you made me make a promise before I left. I promise to keep it. You agreed with my beliefs of what happens when we lose loved ones. I know I´ll see you again regardless if it´s in my dreams, across a board or on the other side. I know you´re proud of mom and you told Chad and I how grateful you were so please know, mom will be okay. You can finally be pain free. Draven said `just because we can´t see him, doesn´t mean he´s not there.´ And he´s right. I hope you´re hunting those little green men. Chad, Draven and I love you so much!

Smooth Sailing, Pop.

-Ali

May God bless you and your family in this time of sorrow.

Sailor, you are now relieved from your watch. A job well done fellow Navy veteran. America thanks you for your service to our country in the defense of freedom. The final volley has sounded and taps is about to begin, ending a successful career as a nation´s defender. Smooth sailing shipmate.

Barry,
Thank You for Your service to our country.

God Bless You!
God be with your family!

Sincerely,
A Grateful American