Eric A. Gray

During the early evening of Saturday, July 23, 2022, Mr. Eric Gray of Columbia, TN, age 37, died instantly in a motorcycle accident on Hampshire Pike.

Eric was born October 2nd, 1984 in Dublin, Georgia to Edmond "Bruce" and Vanita Gray. Eric loved art and drawing from a very young age, and was an avid reader with an unquinchable thirst for knowledge. He attended Westwood College in Atlanta where his focus area was in computer graphic design.

Following a lifelong dream of joining the military, Eric was proudly sworn into the United States Army in 2011 and was stationed in Fairbanks, Alaska. Soon he deployed to Afghanistan, immediately developing unmatched friendships with his band of brothers that lasted his entire lifetime. Upon returning from deployment, his wife and son joined him in Alaska and they stayed until he medically retired in 2014.
Throughout his life, Eric had many loves and passions. As a self-taught musician, Eric was just as comfortable playing the drums and piano as he was strumming his guitar. He enjoyed making special meals; he could turn the dullest eggs into scrumptious masterpieces. He loved photography, gaming, shooting pool, watching movies, enjoying a good cigar, building computers, laughing at memes, and riding his motorcycle.

With all that being said, the greatest love of his life was his wife, Katrina. They met and wed in 2010 and never looked back. Eric made sure every day to say how much he loved her and the world they created with his studio & billiards room, their son, and their furbabies. Both loving to travel, Katrina and he took 6 cruises just this year and were planning to take a few more before year's end. Eric called it "the year of the cruises."

Eric is survived by his wife of 11 years, stepson Brady (& wife Bethany) Green, parents, brothers, Kyle (Tanya) Gray, Josh (Brittany) Gray, Matthew Gray and sister, Jada Gray, beloved aunt Candace (Rick) Haynie, and grandmother Judy Pearson. He was preceded in death by his grandfather, John Pearson.

The family will visit with friends on Wednesday the 27th, from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM at Williams Funeral Home (Trotwood). Funeral services will be conducted Thursday at 2:00 PM by Pastor Darryl Martin with burial to follow in Polk Memorial Gardens. His family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations in Eric's memory are made to the Wounded Warrior Project or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. A celebration of life will be after the burial at 3:30 PM at Williams Funeral Home.

Family and friends will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers include members of his APA pool league and the Wounded Warrior Project friends.