Obituary - Sudie Gray

Sudie Gray, 90, of Bimble, passed away peacefully surrounded by loving family, Wednesday evening, December 4th. Sudie was born in Bell County on July 31, 1934 to Magaret and William Hubbard. Sudie’s life was blessed with the gift of forever being surrounded by many loving children. She was born into a big family, became mother to her own loving children and chose as a career, a calling, that would place her in the position of becoming a mentor, friend, and role model to countless children who needed her sweet and kind guidance and who came to love her and claim her as their own mother-figure during the time they spent with her at the Appalachian Children’s Home, formerly known as the Barbourville Pentecostal Orphanage.  

Although Sudie’s official title at the “Children’s Home” was Kitchen Manager, she played a much more important role, a pivotal role, in nurturing the hundreds of children that spent their childhoods in her presence for the 20 years she worked there. In her spare time, Sudie loved gardening, cooking, baking and canning. She was the ultimate homemaker in every sense of the word. Sudie also enjoyed her church work at Scalf Chapel, where she was an active member of the lady’s group. 

Left to mourn Sudie’s passing are her children, daughter, Imogene Lawrence (Glenn); two sons: Larry Gray (Kathleen) and Terry Gray; seven grandchildren: Gina Spurlock (Doug), April Messer (Tim), John Partin (Amanda), Heather Blanchard (John), Daniel Gray (Sonya), Terry D. Gray (Victoria), and Ivy Shelton (Jeremy); fourteen great-grandchildren: Bailey Phipps (Alexander), Whitney Simpson (Bradley), Bryce Messer, Addison Messer, Dylan Sears, Jacob Mayne, Finley Blanchard, Zach Gray, Simon Gray, Audrey Stephens (Ryan), Bryanna Gray, Alice Gray, Raymond Taulbee, Misty Hall (Josh): and four great-great grandchildren: Greyson Judd, Riley Stephens, Paisley Hall, Raelynn Hall.

Preceding Sudie in death were her husband, Hiram Gray; her mother and father: Margaret (Mills) Hubbard and William Hubbard; her siblings: Vernon Hubbard, Oda Howard, Elsie Baker, Wiley Hubbard, Martha Warren, Betty Howard, William L. Hubbard, Jr. and Birchell Hubbard; and her son-in-law, Rickie Partin.

The Gray family will receive friends at Hopper Funeral Home, on Saturday, December 7, from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM and on Sunday, December 8, from 12:00 until the funeral hour of 2:00 PM. Officiants are Reverend Keith Buster Liford and Jack Doan. Musical Tributes will be performed by family and friends. Interment will follow in the Barbourville Cemetery. The family has chosen as casket bearers: Daniel Gray, Jacob Mayne, Bryce Messer, John Partin, Alexander Phipps and Bradley Simpson.