To view the service go to the church website at www.mumcpa.org on Saturday April 22, 2023 at 1PM and click the Live Stream Link button.  It will be under Sunday, April 23

George A. Gray, III, internationally recognized opera singer, passes away at 75.

George A. Gray was born in Red Bank, NJ, on May 26, 1947, the eldest son of Judge George A. and Florence (née Carlson) Gray. He grew up on the Navesink River, where he was an avid boater, fisherman, and ice skater in a childhood some have described as right out of a Mark Twain novel. George took up archery in high school, and for most of his adult life, he was an avid deer hunter who never could bear to shoot a deer. He said he just liked being out in nature.

A talented musician, George began singing in the junior and senior choirs at Trinity Episcopal Church in Red Bank, NJ, and he performed in the Senior Choir and the Men of Note barbershop ensemble at Red Bank High School. In high school, George also learned to play guitar, banjo, and other stringed instruments, leading to a life-long love of folk music and bluegrass. At age 18, he began studying the piano and organ. George completed his secondary education at the Ranney School in Tinton Falls, NJ. He attended Westminster Choir College as a voice major and subsequently received master's degrees in voice and composition from Mannes College of Music and Juilliard School of Music, both on scholarships.

After graduation, George served as choirmaster at Trinity Lutheran Church, Brooklyn, and later became Artist in Residence at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. A rich and dynamic tenor, George's singing voice turned heroic after he began studying with George McKinley, his dear friend and mentor.  His first major role was Max in Der Freischütz at Princeton University Opera. By the decade's end, George had established himself as a force in Lyric and Wagnerian opera.

As his voice grew, George's career blossomed. He sang the role of Énée in Les Troyens at the opening of the Opéra Bastille in Paris in 1990, performed at the State Theater in Karlsruhe, and, from 1988 to 1990, he sang at the Vienna State Opera. In 1988 and 1989, he achieved great success as Siegfried at the Zurich Opera House with similar accolades for his reprise of the role in Wiesbaden in 1994. After many other notable performances, in 1996 he performed to great acclaim as Siegfried in the performances of Wagner's Der Ring Des Nibelungen by the Arizona Opera in Flagstaff.  Also in 1996, he starred in the world premiere of the opera Rashomon by Mayako Kuba in Graz. He performed as Tajomaru, a part written specifically for his voice.

After retiring from the opera, George taught voice for a number of years at the Boyer College of Music & Dance, Temple University, Drexel University, and from his home. From 2008 until 2022, he was Music Director at Morrisville United Methodist Church, Morrisville, PA.

George died on March 21, just at the beginning of Spring. He is survived by his beloved wife, Anne (née Ramus) Gray, Professor Emerita of Westminster Choir College at Rider University, her two daughters, Sarah Eslick and Annie Jain, their husbands, Jason Eslick and Deepak Jain, and his four grandchildren, whom he loved dearly.  He is also survived by his sister-in-law, Grace Ramus and his brother, Richard. Another brother, David, predeceased him.

A service will be held at Morrisville United Methodist Church, Morrisville, PA on April 22 at 1:00.    In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Smile Train ( www.smiletrain.org )