Jon Gray

Jan. 09,1939-Dec.4,2025

Jon Gray, age 86, of Whipholt, MN formerly of Moorhead, MN, passed away on Thursday, December 4,2025. Jon married the love of his life Rosemary in 1965 in Minneapolis, MN. He took a job as a representative for BFGoodrich Tire that took them to Fargo, ND. He eventually landed at Fargo Tire and a purchased a home in Moorhead. In 1971 he, along with his sister and parents bought a cabin on the south east side of Leech Lake. With his trusty copilot Rosie by his side, the trip up highway 10 to 34 to 200 to Leech Lake became an obsession. Nothing stood between him and that trip north on Friday afternoons. His employer of 30 years Fargo Tire received an immeasurable amount of free advertisement as that white company truck went back and forth from Fargo to Whipolt. They retired to the lake in 2000. He was an avid hunter and fisherman. He loved to talk to others about how the bite was or if they saw anything out hunting. After an out of control Cormorant bird population practically wiped out the Walleye population on Leech, he volunteered with the DNR to restock the lake. It needed to be done. Trailering a boat to another lake for Walleye opener didn’t sit well with him. For twenty years Jon and Rosie wintered along with many of their Leech Lake friends in Naples, Florida. He cherished the friendships made at Leech, particularly those on or near Diamond Point. 

A celebration of life will be held at a later date. 

He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Rosemary. Sons, Paul (Christine), Mike (Debra), Grandchildren, Patrick, Devyn (Savannah), Samantha (Nicholas) Donovan, Great-Grandchildren, Adeline and Jameson Gray.

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