Orby Gray (Georgia)

Journey Through The Life of Orby Gray

Orby was born to the proud parents of Isiah and Ethel Gray on August 9, 1935 in a town called Wesson, which is in Mississippi. He attended St. John Elementary School in Wesson and furthered his education at Alexander High School in Brookhaven where he played varsity basketball, football and ran track. In the summer, he and his childhood friend Earvin would go out of state to pick tobacco and cherries.

Orby was always a hard worker…he always had a job. Orby got his first job plowing with a mule and graduated to driving a tractor. At the age of nine, he began working to start buying the clothes that he wanted.

Orby was a self-taught, well-educated man. He was employed at Oldsmobile and retired in 1981.Throughout his life, he had many careers. He was a dishwasher at a restaurant prior to becoming employed at Oldsmobile. He started a business hauling rubbish then he began Orby’s Snow Removal Service. He held contracts for his grass cutting business for the City of Lansing and then began his real estate business. He also owned a semi-truck to haul scrap metal from Oldsmobile. He studied Auto Body repair at Lansing Community College, where he was a straight “A” student and was known as the Fender Bender. After his retirement he bought a motor home and traveled with his family throughout the United States. He even attended Culinary School to become a chef. Orby and his wife Corean, began their family owned mobile restaurant, Orlando’s in 1991 where they were famously known for their Ghetto Burger. Along with feeding their many customers, they also gave back to the community by feeding the local homeless. His final job in his long work career, was at Michigan State University in the cafeteria where he claims to have made the best smoothie around.

As everyone knows, Orby was a collector. He collected watches, clocks and coins. He had everything that anyone needed…including air for your tires. If someone was going to break down, it would happen in front of the house on Butler Boulevard and Orby would always be there to lend a helping hand. He would give a stranger his last. His hobbies included working, going to estate sales, auctions, crafting stained glass and riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle with the Dragon’s Motorcycle Club. Most of all, he enjoyed cooking, eating a good meal and he loved coconut cake.

Orby was preceded in death by his parents, his siblings; June, Barbara, Judy and Helen.

He leaves to cherish his memory: the love of his life, his wife Corean, children, Dwight (Vicki), Dwayne, Darryl, Crystal, Andrew, Andrea (TJ), Andre and Orlando (LaTosha); siblings, Georgia, Jerry (Jenette), Charles (Kathy) and Ronnie; a host of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, his loyal, Royal friend, Weland along with other relatives and friends.

A special thank you to Orlando Sr., LaTosha, Alexandria, Greyson, Orlando II and Jonathan for lovingly providing constant care and attention to Orby.