❤️ Dedicated to the memory of Paul Gray ❤️

This site is a tribute to Paul Gray BSc, MSc, DSc, FRIC, FRSC. He is very much loved and will always be remembered as a witty, clever, loving and caring man. Paul lived to be almost 90 years old and was a Scientist, Honorary Adviser for Sustainable Development and Clean Technologies to Prince Laurent of Belgium, Former Chairman of the Belgian branch of the RSC (Royal Society of Chemistry), EU civil servant and Director of European Union Research programmes on Environment & Climate, and Marine Science and Technology, Chief Operations, Head Chemist and manager of the experimental nuclear reactor at Winfrith, Dorset, polymath, singer, musician, family man, poet, actor, playwright, DIY man, benefactor and philanthropist, and so much more. He was fondly and frequently referred to by his grandchildren as "Dr P. The Big Book of Everything".

Notwithstanding, he was a loving, dedicated husband and soul mate to Diane Lillian Gray, a kindred spirit in everything adventurous, musical, flamboyant and a little mischievous! www.diane-gray.muchloved.com/

In his youth as a visiting student, he was once told by an Augustinian monk in Worms, Germany after pointing out the damage to the cathedral from successive invading armies including during the 2nd world war, "Don't despair, Act! You, the youth of today must put this right". This was very much the maxim he followed throughout his life.

Join us in celebrating his life, his achievements and his lasting legacy towards building a better, safer and sustainable future. Leave a thought, a story or a picture here.

 

Contribute

Help grow Paul's Tribute by adding messages or memories you'd like to share.

Thoughts

Farewell to a kind courteous gentleman and a brilliant singer.My sincere condolences to Paul’s family.
Sally Batten
7th September 2022
Paul was a force of nature, never backwards in giving his opinion or expertise. His spontaneous breaking out into song was remarkable, not to mention his craftsmanship in building stage sets solid enough to grace a real dwelling. Also an outstanding EU civil servant. Joining Diane in eternal rest as is right.
Tim Mawson
5th September 2022
I thank God for the life of Paul Gray. He was a wonderful poly-gifted all-rounder of a gentleman. He was an amazing tenor! Won the Eisteddfod back in his time. He knew music inside out. He knew church music even more inside out. And he knew choral singing. He could sing opera, lieder, light opera, musicals. He could belt out an amazing solo for "We three kings of Orient are". All this he did in his spare time. His real job was being a chemist. In this role, he led the EU team charged with investigating and ameliorating the nuclear accident at Chernobyl in the 1980s. On first getting to know him, his many skills and accomplishments could seem a bit intimidating. But once you got to know him better, you discovered that he was fundamentally a very kind and gentle-hearted man with a sincere Christian faith. During his last five years in Brussels, he and Diane sang regularly with our choir here in Holy Trinity. I always valued their contribution very highly. His parting gift to me, when he left Holy Trinity, was the huge ancient deluxe HISTORICAL EDITION of Hymns Ancient & Modern, with historical notes on all the hymns. It's here in my bookcase, and I treasure it to this day. We wish him peaceful rest until the day he rises to his reward.
Dr David Mitchell, Director of Music, Holy Trinity Brussels
5th September 2022
Recent Activity