Obituary of Paul Anthony Gray

With broken hearts, the passing of Paul Anthony Gray at the too young age of 67 is announced. Paul slipped away peacefully on April 15, 2021 in St Marys Ontario after a short illness with his devoted wife Heather by his side. A native of Sudbury, Paul attended St. Charles College, Sudbury, and later St. Michael’s College at U of T. His love of food & wine and great sense of hospitality led him into the Toronto fine dining restaurant scene in the mid 1980’s, notably at the Hazelton Café, where he met wife Heather & later at Rhodes. In 1998, Paul joined the LCBO, becoming a respected Vintages Product Consultant, as well as a member of the LCBO & VQA tasting panels. His encyclopedic knowledge of wine and engaging personality made him the “go-to guy” for his clientele and for friends and family who knew he’d recommend the exactly right wine for them. Paul retired from the LCBO in November 2019, to begin life’s last adventure, relocating from Orangeville to St. Marys, where he and Heather found their forever home.Paul had a warm, open and generous heart, known to all as kind, thoughtful, gentle, loyal and funny – he lit up every room he entered. Possessed of an impish wit, Paul was a master of the finely executed practical joke. Inheriting his Italian mother’s love of cooking, Paul was known for his “red sauce”, light-as-air potato gnocchi, traditional Italian bread, rich passatelli soup, pyrohy made from scratch and great BBQ skills. He loved sailing, all things Christmas, cozy wood fires, growing veg & tinkering around the house. Paul loved exploring the picturesque & peaceful backroads of his new Perth County home with its softly rolling vistas, charming stone farmhouses, ever on the lookout for great blue herons, bald eagles, orioles and owls along the Upper Thames. Predeceased by father Earl, mother Liza (Cecutti), brother Earl and sister Anne Newell, he is mourned and sorely missed by wife Heather, best friends Victor, Sandie (Ken) and Dalia (Tim) and a tight circle of university friends, brother-in-law Ian Douglas (Terri), cousin John Lafferty (Martha), his many surviving Cecutti cousins, cousins-in-law John Douglas (Kate) and Lindy Moran, LCBO colleagues, Hemingways’ Treehouse gang, friends and neighbours in Orangeville & St Marys. Paul shared his wife’s love of travel and is deeply missed by the many friends he made along the way, most especially his adopted Swiss family, the Schwanders & Pernets. Sincere thanks to the staff of St Marys Memorial Hospital, Happy Valley FHT and Stratford Care Partners for their care and kindness. If desired, a donation to the St Marys Healthcare Foundation would be appreciated.Cremation has taken place. A private funeral Mass and interment will occur on July 24, 2021 at 1 p.m. The service will be streamed live on the Andrew L. Hodges Funeral Home Facebook page. (please click on the on the button that appears on the left side of the screen that says Facebook Live. That will take you to the Andrew L. Hodges Funeral Home Facebook page. When the live streaming begins, about five minutes before the service at 1 p.m., a post will appear to say the funeral is going live. Click on that post.