- Winnipeg Free Press Passages
- All Titles
Search:
Notices are posted by 10 am Monday through Saturday
JERRY L. GRAY
The family of Jerry Gray are saddened to announce his passing peacefully at Victoria General Hospital on Sunday, October 12, 2025.
He is survived by his son Derek and his wife Emily of Portland, Oregon, his sister Mary Kimmel and her husband Brad of Evansville, Indiana, his brother Bob Gray of Louisville, Kentucky, his beloved partner Nancy Sulkers, and his many nieces and nephews in southern Indiana and southern Illinois. He was predeceased by his wife Lynda in 2012.
Jerry was born in Evansville, Indiana and first attended Washington University in St. Louis to study architecture. It didn’t go well. His fellow students called him "Frank Lloyd Wrong". In 1962 he switched to Evansville College (now University of Evansville) to study business and graduated in 1965. He then entered graduate school and Southern Illinois University and graduated in 1967 with a master’s degree in management. In 1967 he entered the Ph.D. program and the University of South Carolina and received his Ph.D. in management in 1970.
He and Lynda were married in 1970 and immediately moved to Winnipeg where he had accepted a position at the Faculty of Commerce (now the I.H. Asper School of Business) where he retired as Dean Emeritus in 2005.
During his university days, Jerry was a busy boy. He played six nights a week in a band (The Foremosts), worked 40 hours/week at Old National Bank, and took a full load of classes each term. When he moved to South Carolina, he had to give up his music "career" but continued to play for fun. His guitars were kept close by and he played continually up until his last year.
Jerry’s passion was fishing. He and best friend Fred Starke travelled every summer to northern Canada in search of the elusive 50 pound lake trout, most often to Nuelton Lake. Their furthest trip was to the Arctic Ocean just south of Baffin Island.
Jerry enjoyed his university career, especially teaching. He taught classes up until his retirement. Although he used textbooks (including the ones he had written), his classes consisted of stories, examples, jokes and personal case studies. Many students remember "The Norm of Social Reciprocity" and still practice it today. He published several articles in leading journals and four books - two scholarly and two textbooks. He also taught many management seminars to managers, in both the public and private sectors starting in 1972. He taught seminars in Canada, the U.S., England, China and Malaysia. He also carried on an active consulting practice working with organizations across Canada and the U.S.
After his retirement, Jerry embarked on a career of community service. He served as Chair of the WRHA, President of the Manitoba Club, and Chair of the Friends of Upper Fort Garry. He also served on the corporate boards of Pollard Banknote (18 years), Gendis, Inc. (10 years) and numerous small companies and start-ups.
A Celebration of Life memorial reception will be held 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Monday, October 27, 2025 at The Gates on Roblin, 6945 Roblin Blvd., Headingley, MB.
As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Oct 18, 2025