Worlin U. Gray, “WUG”, passed peacefully in his home on February 3, 2014. Preceded in death by his parents, James and Agnes Gray, WUG was an only child, born November 7, 1916 in San Francisco, CA. He grew up in the wilds of Yosemite after his father became the Water Master for the Hetch Hetchy reservoir system. After graduating with a mining engineering degree from UC-Berkeley where he lettered in Football, enjoyed Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, Track and Field and Rugby, he joined the military and served as a Marine pilot in the South Pacific during WWII. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross by Admiral Halsey for outstanding valor in the face of heavy enemy fire. He returned home and began flying for Pan American World Airways in 1946, and met the love of his life, stewardess Kathy Cook in Fiji.
He is survived by his wife Kathleen Cook Gray, and children Richard (Katherine), Leslie Manning (Scott), James (Charissa), Allen (Dee Dee), David (Venetia), Doug (Laura), as well as many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. “WUG” loved his family, flying, building a prodigious vocabulary, coaching youth sports and instilling character and lifelong values in young people. He retired as a 747 pilot with Pan American in 1977, began working full time for the aerial mapping business he had founded in 1958, and continued working in his own business every day until age 96.
A service celebrating his life will be held at Mountain View Mortuary, 425 Stoker Avenue in Reno on February 15, 2014 at 1:00 PM. A Reception will follow immediately at Louis’ Basque Corner 2nd Floor, 301 E. 4th Street, Reno.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to Wounded Warriors, the Pan Am Historical Foundation (Pan Am Historical Foundation, Inc 1275 Fairfax Ave. Suite 747, San Francisco, CA 94124) or .
Published in Reno Gazette-Journal from Feb. 9 to Feb. 12, 2014