Anna Cordelia Gray
MERIDEN - Anna Cordelia Gray, 95, died Saturday,, Jan. 14, 2006 at MidState Medical Center. She was the wife of the late Maurice Gray. Born in Keswick, VA on Nov. 28, 1910, she was the daughter of the late Alexander and Lillian Head Johnson and began working at age thirteen when her father died Later she worked at the Connecticut School for Boys for 25 years and retired as the lead chef. She helped to found and establish churches in Virginia, Washington, D.C., the Mount Hebron Baptist Church in Meriden and the North Haven Community Baptist Church. She attended and was active in the Parker A.M.E. Church in Meriden. Anna was a board member and chairwoman of the Social Committee for the Meriden-Walllingford Chapter of the NAACP and was a member of the John Barry PTA and a board member of the Martin Luther King Scholarship Committee. She supported the Laurel Club Scholarship Fund for local African- American students and was treasurer of the Black Democratic Club. She received awards from the Meriden-Wallingford NAACP in 1999 in recognition of her work in the community and an award in 1986 from the YWCA in Meriden for Women in Leadership. She is survived by a daughter and son-in-law, Julia and William Robinson of Meriden; several nieces and nephews and their spouses, Christine Cooper of Stonington, CT, Lucille Hyatt, Patricia and Thomas Whitney and Richard Hyatt, all of New York City; William and Bonnie Johnson and Louis Johnson, Jr., all of Charlottesville, VA and Charles and Elsie Johnson of Gordonsville, VA; several greatnieces and nephews and their spouses, Geneen Johnson and Tonya Johnson, both of Charlotteville, VA, Lloyd Hyatt of New York City, Vincent Crawford and Martha Davis, both of Meriden, Renee and David Fabien of New Britain, Valerie and John Simms of Stonington, Richard Frazier of Summerset, PA, Michael Frazier of Maryland and a cousin, Gloria Little of Washington, D.C. She was predeceased by five sisters, Frances Johnson, Ida Johnson, Lettie Ashton, Martha Hyatt and Alma Forrest; a brother, Louis Johnson; two nieces, Constance Walker and Frances Hyatt and a nephew, Lawrence Frazier. She is also survived by many other relatives and friends. Relatives and friends may call at the Meriden Hills Baptist Church, 121 Charles St., Meriden on Thursday (TODAY) from 2 to 3 p.m. Burial will take place in Gordonsville, Virginia. Arrangements are under the direction of the Beecher and Bennett Flatow Funeral Home, 48 Cook Ave., Meriden.
To Judi and Cliff: You are in our prayers at this most difficult time. Aunt Dee was a wonderful person and we will all miss her. See you soon. Sincerely Bonnie & Beetle