Smsgt. Ruffin Gray, Jr., Usaf (Ret.)

SMSgt. Ruffin Gray, Jr., USAF (Ret.), 60, passed away on Thursday, March 4, 2004. Services for SMSgt Gray will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Friday, March 12 in the chapel of Robins Air Force Base. Interment will be in the Georgia Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Milledgeville. Visitation will be Thursday, March 11 from 7:00 P.M. until 9:00 P.M. at McCullough Funeral Home. Memorials may be given to the Atlanta Hospitality House, 1815 Ponce de Leon N.E., Atlanta, GA 30307.

SMSgt. Gray, a Vietnam Veteran, was born in Columbia, Louisiana, on December 11, 1943. At the time of his death, SMSgt Gray was employed as a Lead Equipment Specialist at Robins Air Force Base. He was a member of the American Legion, the Air Force Sergeants Association, Lifetime member of the Air Force Association, and the Non-commissioned Officer Association. He was preceded in death by his father, Ruffin Gray Sr.; his mother, Georgia Bell Gray; a sister, Patricia A. Gray; three brothers, Sylvester, Thomas and Kaziski Gray; and son, Robert Lee Gray. He was married for 14 years to the former Ruth H. Tyson Bolden from Butler, Alabama.

SMSgt Gray graduated from Tilden Technical High School in Chicago, Illinois in 1960. He attended Chicago Technical College for one year. For the next 42 years, he served his country as a Marine, Airman, and civil servant.

SMSgt Gray enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in 1961. After serving one year, he transferred to the United States Air Force where he served faithfully for over 28 years. SMSgt Gray completed technical training at Keesler AFB, MS where he graduated from the Ground Radio Repairman course in 1963. From technical school, he served at Clark Air Base, Philippines from 1963 – 1966, with temporary duty to Thailand, Taiwan, Japan, Australia, and Korea; Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, 1966 – 1967; Clark Air Base, from 1967 – 1969, with eight deployments to the Republic of Vietnam, the unit was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation; Malstrom AFB, Montana, from 1969 – 1970; Albrook AFB, Panama Canal zone from 1970 – 1974, where he deployed to Managua, Nicaragua on Christmas Eve, 1973 to provide and restore communications after a devastating earthquake; Bergstrom AFB, TX, from 1974 – 1976; Clark Air Base Philippines, from 1976- 1979, where his unit won best maintained receiver site in 1977 and 1978; Francis E. Warren AFB, Wyoming, 1979 – 1981; Anderson AFB, Guam, from 1981 to 1986, where his personnel won six John Levitow awards, Airman of the Year, NCO of the Year, and Maintenance/Technician Supervisor of the Year, garnered and “Outstanding” rating from the Pacific Air Force Inspector General and Ruffin winning 27th Communications Squadron’s Senior NCO of the Year; Taegue Air Base, Republic of Korea, from 1986-1987; Hurlburt Field, Florida, from 1987 – 1990. After retiring from the Air Force, SMSgt Gray served as a civil servant for 13 years with assignments in Germany and the United Kingdom before coming to Robins. During this time, he was selected as the Air Force Special Operations Command C4 Civilian of the Year, 1994 and the command’s Lieutenant General Leo Marquez award, Civilian-Manager, 1999. Additionally, he contributed to the 352 Special Operations Communications Flight winning the Air Force Maintenance Effectiveness Award in 1995 and three consecutive command awards from 1998 thru 2001.

Survivors along with his wife include their children: Thinemar (Miller) Swayzer, Ft Hood, Texas; Ruffin Gray III, Australia; Divina (Frank) Mesa, Guam; Roland (Vilma) Gray, Guam; Derryl Bush, and Mark (Shanice) Bush, of Fort Walton Beach, Florida; Maggie (Derick) Thompson, Manhattan, Kansas; Derrick Gray, San Antonio, Texas; and Danielle (Dexter) Walker, Monroe, Louisiana; four sisters; five brothers; and 12 grandchildren.

His military decorations and awards include: the Purple Heart, one device; the Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters; the Air Force Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters; the Air Force Achievement Medal; the Presidential Unit Citation; the Joint Meritorious Unit Award; the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Valor and seven oak leaf clusters; the U.S. Marines Meritorious Combat Unit Award; the Air Force Good Conduct Medal with eight devices; the National Defense Medal; the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal with two oak leaf clusters; the Vietnam Service Medal with four campaign stars; the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm Unit Citation; and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.

Go to www.mcculloughfh.com to sign Online Registry for the family. McCullough Funeral Home has charge of arrangements.


Funeral Home:
McCullough Funeral Home
417 S. Houston Lake Road
Warner Robins, GA
US 31088