Judy L. (Lawrence) Gray

Judy L. Gray, 82, 6224 County Route 27, Canton, passed away April 24, 2024 at her home under the care of her family and Hospice of St. Lawrence Valley.

Judy’s funeral will be on Tuesday, April 30th at 11:00 am at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Ogdensburg, with the Reverend Sonya Boyce officiating. Burial will follow at Evergreen Cemetery in Canton. Following the burial there will be a reception at the Canton Fire Station meeting room, 77 Riverside Drive Canton. For anyone who can not make the funeral service, St. John’s Episcopal Church will be streaming the service on their Facebook page.

Due to Judy’s lifelong love of the St. Lawrence River and the family history extending over 90 years in Morristown, calling hours will be held at the home of her brother and sister-in-law, Russell “RB” and Jayne Lawrence at 24 Rogers Road, Morristown, NY (GPS will say Ogdensburg, NY) on Monday April 29th from 4-7pm. Parking will be on the side of River Road East and a shuttle service will be provided to and from the home.

Born on March 21, 1942 at the Barlow Hospital, Main Street, Canton, New York, she was the daughter of Russell B. (Buster) Jr. and Dorothy (Charters) Lawrence. Judy graduated in 1960 from Canton High School and went on to attend Orange County Community College in Middletown, New York. She later attended Alfred State College. She graduated with an Associate Degree in Nursing in 1982 from Canton ATC.

Judy was an avid figure skater and was a member of the St. Lawrence Figure Skating Club when it was established in the early 50’s when Appleton Arena had dasher boards made of actual wood. She attended various summer camps for figure skating including Coburg, Ontario.

On February 26, 1962 she married Charles Lewis Gray at St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church in Jacksonville, FL with Reverend Robert Libby officiating. Charles “Charlie” died May 12, 2019. Judy and her family lived in various places during Charlie’s time in the U.S. Navy including Jacksonville, FL, Memphis, TN, Patuxent River, MD, and Quonset Point, RI. Upon Charlie’s retirement from the U.S. Navy in 1974, the family moved back to their roots in Canton.

In 1982, Judy was employed as a Registered Nurse at A. Barton Hepburn Hospital. She worked in various departments and later retired in 2002. She also worked for her family-owned business, R.B. Lawrence Ambulance. Later, she continued to work for Beaver Cross Ministries, Greenwich, NY as a summer camp nurse for the Episcopal Diocese of Albany. She also worked as a substitute nurse/teacher’s aide for Canton Central School. In her retirement, she also played an integral part in helping her daughter and son-in-law, Karen and Jeff Hampson with their triplet daughters.

Her love of the St. Lawrence River, from her infancy has continued throughout her entire life. Judy and Charlie would spend as much time as possible on their boat during the summer months on the St. Lawrence River. Over the years, the couple owned a total of nine boats and were longtime members of the Brockville, Ontario Yacht Club.  In recent years, she has enjoyed sitting out on her friends back porch as well as family’s camp watching the ships go by on the river.

In her earlier years, she loved to wood carve wildlife, go hunting, and ice skate. She attended SLU men’s and women’s hockey games as she was an avid St. Lawrence hockey fan. She was also a member of the Daughters of the King, Daughters of the American Revolution, the St. Lawrence Power Squadron, and the Amvets Auxiliary Post 282, Potsdam. Since Charlie’s death, she has enjoyed ceramics, camping, trips to Frontenac Crystal Springs, and dining at the Koffee Cove in Clayton, NY. 

Mrs. Gray also enjoyed snowmobiling. In fact, in February 2024 at 81 years old, she snowmobiled from the Town of Clare to the Thirsty Moose in Childwold, NY and back.

Surviving Mrs. Gray are a son, Charles L.  “Chip” Gray Jr. and his companion Nancy Almaraz, St. Leonard, MD; a daughter Karen Hampson and her husband Jeff, Canton; five grandchildren, Michelle Walker and her husband Zach, Troy, OH; Charles L. Gray, III, Lusby, MD, Allyssa E. Hampson, Pendell, PA, Erin N. Hampson, Mexico, NY, Abigail E. Hampson, Canton; three great grandchildren, Brayden, Peyton, and Levi Walker, Troy, OH; a brother Russell “RB” Lawrence and his wife, Jayne Lawrence, Morristown; nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Condolences and memories can be shared online at www.hammillfh.com or olearyfuneralservice.com. If friends desire, contributions in Judy’s honor can be made to St. John’s Episcopal Church, 500 Caroline Street, Ogdensburg, NY 13669; Canton Fire and Rescue, 77 Riverside Drive, Canton, NY 13617; Hospice of St. Lawrence Valley, 6805 U.S. 11, Potsdam, NY 13676.

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