Theresa Stockard-Gray

Theresa Yvonne Stockard Gray returned home to her Heavenly Father May 27th at Aviva/ Maybelle Carter in Nashville, Tennessee, having lived to be 94. In those years, she exemplified the Stockard family tradition of generous hospitality and loving service to all she encountered. But she was equally capable of speaking her mind, leaving no doubt as to what she believed and where she stood on issues moral, political, and religious.

Yvonne, as most of her intimate acquaintances called her, was the eighth of nine children born to Henry and Theresa Stockard in April 1929. She and her siblings grew up in the Depression, supported at home by their mother and financially by the work of their father. Five of her brothers fought in World War II, while Yvonne grew from childhood into a smart and attractive young woman. After graduating Pearl High in 1947, Yvonne enrolled in Tennessee State University. She was studious and popular, but always regulated her life by family values and the Christian faith she embraced through baptism as a pre-teen girl. Shortly after she graduated from TSU in 1951, Yvonne met and married Clyde Gray, and returned to his home in Winston-Salem, NC. Their union led to the birth of their son, Clyde, Jr.

Yvonne later moved back to Nashville to be with her mother, surviving brothers, nieces and nephews. She immediately went to work as an active member of the Schrader Lane Church of Christ, helping to organize and operate the kitchen ministry, and frequently providing meals from her own kitchen for members who could use the support. Yvonne was employed by the Florence Crittenton Home, and later the Nashville Metropolitan Schools, from which she retired in 1993. In 1980, she earned a Master’s Degree in Education from her alma mater.

Yvonne Gray is mourned by her son, Clyde, his wife Kim, his daughters Amanda and Claire, his son, Ryan, a great granddaughter, and her nieces and nephews from the Gray and Stockard families.

If you knew Yvonne, you know she loved to laugh, and enjoyed telling stories–including sound effects–about the antics of friends and family. She was an accomplished cook who loved sharing her passion for food and her recipes with her family. She and her business partner, Gracie Lewis, also ran a catering service. Yvonne also nurtured a lifelong love of music: as a pianist; singing in and directing church music groups; singing on stage with her sister and niece; and filling the house with her rich, operatic alto voice as she cooked for her family.

Yvonne’s passing creates an enormous void in the lives of those who loved her.  To help fill that void, she leaves sweet memories of nurturing and protective love; words of wisdom; moments of music and laughter; and a life dedicated to God, and service to family, friends, and strangers.