Dewana Lou (Berry) Gray passed away on April 9, 2024, in Austin, Texas, after a long battle with cancer. Dewana was born in Austin on November 12, 1936, to Chester (Check) and Jessie Mae Berry. When she was five, she moved with her parents and her sister, Alma Ann, to Artesia, New Mexico, where her brother Ray was born. When she was a freshman in high school, she attended an Artesia Bulldog basketball game where a cute junior basketball player named W.L. (Dub) Gray winked at her across the gym from where he sat on the bench, taking a break as a star player. She winked back. They were married on May 29, 1955, one week after she graduated from high school.
Dewana has been described by many as being “a force of nature.” They are not wrong. She was feisty, smart, funny, creative, beautiful, and fiercely loyal and protective of those she loved. She and Dub had three children and she was a devoted mother to all of them. She was the cool, pretty mom all her kids’ friends wished they had. She attended every school event, track meet, football game, choir concert, or other activities her children were involved in—often being the mom in charge of organizing everything behind the scenes. In addition to being a full-time mother, she was Dub’s partner in his many businesses, keeping the books and being involved in the day-to-day finances of the family operations. Far from being just Mrs. Dub Gray (a title she refused to go by), she was Dewana Gray—a full partner in life to her husband. She was her own person with her own ideas and opinions, most of which she was more than happy to share!
In the early 80’s she became a business owner when she opened Hello World Travel in Artesia. For many years, she shared her sense of adventure and love of travel with the whole community. And boy, did she love to travel! She and Dub took trips all over the world together, from Africa to New Zealand and many points in between.
She brought so much energy and joy to being a grandmother. She and Dub would host “Camp PaPa” at their mountain home in Mayhill, New Mexico. She created a week-long summer camp experience that began with a registration form for the grandkids to fill out, including a camp packing list, and a full brochure describing the camp’s activities: arts and crafts, horseback riding, fishing, skits, campfires, day trips to White Sands, and much more. When the kids arrived, there would be daily schedules of activities along with a chore chart for all the kids to pitch in. The week culminated with a skit and songs performed for the parents when they came to pick the kids up.
She was a true artist, bringing creativity to all aspects of her life. She loved nothing better than to be in front of her easel with a paintbrush in her hand. In addition to her many oil paintings, she painted murals on the walls of her homes, even in recent years painting one for a great-grandson’s nursery. She was a storyteller and a writer. Many of her stories to her family began with the phrase, “As you travel down life’s highway…”. In later years she took up memoir writing, taught a memoir writing class, and self-published a book of memories from her life. Of course, she titled the book “As You Travel Down Life’s Highway.”
Dewana was a devoted friend who was loved by many. She enjoyed entertaining and often hosted parties, dinners, and happy hours where she and Dub would welcome friends and family into their home. To be in her presence at her table was to be surrounded by great food, great conversation, and much laughter.
Dewana was preceded in death by her parents, Chester and Jessie Mae Berry, and her sister, Alma Ann Burnam. She is survived by her brother and sister-in-law Ray and Austella Berry of Midland, Texas.
She leaves behind her devoted husband of almost 69 years, Warren Lewis (W.L.) Gray of Austin, Texas; daughter and son-in-law Alicia (Key) and Mark Ellison of Dripping Springs, Texas; son and daughter-in-law Steve and Debbie Gray of Dallas, Texas; and daughter Nancy Gray of Austin, Texas; her grandchildren, Tyler Key of Buda, Texas; Sara Key of Dripping Springs, Texas; Stephanie Capshaw of Prosper, Texas, Jessica Grijalva of Denver, Colorado, James Gray of Houston, Texas; Christian Kneupper of Austin, Texas; and Nicholas Kneupper of Boston, Massachusetts; and 11 great-grandchildren. She also leaves four nephews, a niece, four great-nephews, and two great-nieces. As she was fond of saying at the frequent family gatherings surrounded by all her kids, grandkids and great-grandkids—none of us would be here without her. And none of us will be quite the same with her gone.
A memorial service is planned for Friday, May 10 at 11 a.m. at the Smith Family Chapel at Riverbend Church, 4214 Capital of Texas Highway North, Austin, Texas, 78746, with internment at the Remembrance Gardens. A luncheon will follow at the home of Alicia Ellison in Dripping Springs.
Her family thanks Dr. Punit Chadha and PA Pam Garza of Texas Oncology and nurse Allison Reich of St. David’s Hospice for their loving care and support. Instead of flowers, please consider a donation in Dewana’s memory to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.