Author: Press Release

CPL Blake Aaron Thomas – July 18, 1989 – August 1, 2017

Blake Aaron Thomas, from Williamsburg, VA, served in the United States Marine Corps from 2007 to 2011. He was a 0341 Mortarman and served with 3rd Battalion 8th Marines, Kilo Company and deployed during Operation Enduring Freedom to Haddi, Afghanistan, 2008-2009. He moved to Colorado in 2013 where he attended the University of Colorado and was active at local gyms and MMA training.  He also enjoyed hiking, mountaineering, snowboarding, camping, and many other outdoors activities. He is survived by his father, Blake Gerald Thomas and his wife Jen Thomas; his mother, Cynthia Louise Stevens; Siblings Lettie Thomas and husband Daniel Flynn; Emily Thomas; Gabrielle Kirby and husband Avery Kirby; Nikita Moore; Mariah Thomas; Cody Thomas;  Ben Owen; grandmother Marie Slater;  Aunt Debbie;  Aunt Melinda and husband Sam Otey; Uncle Kim Thomas and wife Frieda and several cousins, nieces and nephews.

Paul Thanksgiving (Paulie Boy) Gray was born in Germantown, PA on November 26, 1959 as a twin to Paul Gray Sr. and Georgianna Gray. He and his twin brother Roosevelt Day Gray were wonderful additions to an already large family of eleven existing siblings.

He was preceded in death by his sister Emma as a child, as well as his brother Paul later in his life, then his father Paul Sr., and then his mother Georgianna. He also lost his grandmother whom he loved dearly Mrs. Emma Harper Gray Dupree who cared for many of the children out of her small home in Port Deposit, MD. As a young mature man he was known to often help his elderly grandmother by tending to her home on Cokesbury Rd. His grandmother had two sons, Franklin Roosevelt Gray (having one child), and Paul Gray Sr. (having 13 children). From her two sons came all 28 grandchildren that exist and thrive today.