Eugene Thomas McCray, 83, of Princeton, NJ died peacefully in his home on Friday, February 6, 2015. He was a tirelessly devoted husband, father, brother and grandfather. Born on January 2, 1932 in Pittsburgh, PA, the son of Leon Warren McCray and Mary Magdalene Lesesne McCray, he attended Schenley High school and graduated in 1950. In 1951, Gene enlisted in the Navy and achieved the rank of Electricians Technician-Petty Officer Second Class and was honorably discharged in 1955. He enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh and earned a B.S. in electrical engineering in 1959. Gene earned an M.S. in applied physics from Adelphi University in 1965.
Gene started his career with the Grumman Corporation on Long Island where he worked on many Navy aircraft contracts. In 1966, he left Grumman and returned to the Navy as a civilian navigational engineer for the Naval Applied Science Laboratory, which later became the Naval Air Development Center (NADC). Gene spent the rest of his career with NADC, retiring in 1992.
Gene's professional life was a very small part of what gave his life meaning. Always engaged and widely interested, he truly found his stride after retirement. Gene found great joy and fulfillment in his many volunteer and board roles over the years. A longtime and dedicated member of Princeton Friends Meeting and passionate advocate for secondary education, Gene served as a founding board member for the Mercer Street Friends charter school, Capital Prep Charter High School, and Friend of Foundation Academy. In addition to his volunteer activities, he found time to pursue a lifelong passion for creating art. Gene worked in a number of different mediums but his favorite was paint in both oil and water color.
He is survived by his loving wife Cleo, two sons Chris, and Ian, sisters Annabelle and Harriette, brothers Timothy, and Leon Willard, and grandchildren, Jesse and Allison. Gene stood as an inspiration to those who knew him. His warmth, humor, wit, gentle guidance and eternal optimism will remain a part of each of his survivors, and will be greatly missed. A memorial service will be held at Princeton Friends Meeting House, 470 Quaker Road, Princeton, NJ 08540-4838, on Sunday, February 15, 2015 at 2 pm.