An Honorary Smokey Boy
Every grilling team has one.
He might not wear the shirt every time. He might not trim the brisket or tend the fire all night long.
But somehow ...he belongs.
For the Smokey Boys, that guy was Greg Gray.
Now, Greg would probably tell you he wasn't an official member. He'd say he was just hanging around, sampling the barbecue to make sure we hadn't messed it up. Truth be told ...he was a very good griller, and he'd
fire up the ol' smoker anytime you had a hankerin' for his self-professed, world-famous Whiskey Brownies.
That was Greg.
He never met a stranger and obviously hated any lull in a conversation.
He never missed an opportunity to laugh.
And he never passed up the chance to remind everyone that Tennessee orange was, in his opinion, the finest color ever created.
We tried to help him.
Lord knows we tried.
Every football season we'd explain that there were better teams to cheer for. Better colors to wear. Better songs to sing.
He'd just grin and come back with a few zingers of his own..
With Greg, it was never really about winning the debate.
It was about being together.
Around a grill...
Around a table...
Around friends.
That's where Greg lived his best life.
If there was smoke rolling out of a Big Green Egg,
you could almost count on him being nearby.
If there was barbecue to share, he believed there
ought to be enough for one more plate.
If there was laughter, he was often the reason.
The funny thing about barbecue is this...
The fire eventually goes out.
The smoke disappears.
The table gets cleared.
But the memories ...those stay.
Every time we light another fire...
Every time somebody tells an old story...
Every time someone laughs just a little too hard...
Memories of Greg will come rolling back,
Like smoke against the wind.
A Smokey Boy.
An honorary member...
But truthfully...
One of the best of us.
Greg was a faithful husband who adored Tyra.
A proud dad who loved Lauren with all his heart.
A churchman who loved his Savior.
A Warrior.
A Green Bay fan.
An 80s music expert.
And yes...
An unbelievably stubborn Big Orange fan.
But above all those things...
Greg Gray was a friend.
The kind this world never has enough of.
The kind you thank God for.
And the kind you never really lose...
Because every life he touched carries a little
Piece of him forward.
So the next time the smoke starts rolling...
Raise the lid.
Tell one of Greg's stories.
Laugh a little louder than usual.
Love the people around your table.
And if somebody happens to show up wearing Tennessee orange...go easy on them.
Greg would've wanted it that way.
