FILE NUMBER........

Whereas, On March 23, 1998, the residents of the State of Nevada

were saddened by the passing of poet, historian, educator and former

Assemblyman R. Guild Gray; and

Whereas, R. Guild Gray was born in Peoria, Illinois, on September 2,

1911, and grew up near Reno where his parents settled in 1913; and

Whereas, The formal education of R. Guild Gray took place in the

elementary and secondary schools in Reno, the University of Nevada,

Stanford University, University of Southern California and the College of

the Pacific, but his lifelong love of Nevada and understanding of life came

from the education he received roaming the deserts and mountains of this

state; and

Whereas, R. Guild Gray was superintendent of the Las Vegas Union

School District No. 2 from 1953 to 1956 before becoming superintendent

of the newly consolidated Clark County School District, a position he held

until 1961; and

Whereas, R. Guild Gray was elected to the Nevada Assembly in 1963

and served until 1966, including the Special Sessions of 1964, 1965 and

1966, during which time he was a member of the committees on Building

and Construction, Education, Elections, Public Health and Public Morals,

and Taxation; and

Whereas, The business world knew R. Guild Gray as a savings and

loan executive but many people, especially the students at the Gray

Elementary School in Las Vegas which was named in his honor, knew him

as a reservoir of knowledge of Nevada history and lore; and

Whereas, The deep passion R. Guild Gray had for Nevada became

apparent to the world in the books he authored, including The Treble V, a

story containing the history and legends of cattle ranchers in northeastern

Nevada, and Nature Sings, a collection of Gray’s poetry and photographs

of the Great Basin filled with his reflections on life and death; and

Whereas, R. Guild Gray is survived by his daughter, Irmalee Ross, and

his son, Gary Gray, both of Las Vegas and his sister, Juanita Jensen of

Reno; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of Nevada, the Senate

Concurring, That the members of the 70th session of the Nevada

Legislature express their deepest sympathy to the family of R. Guild Gray

including his children, Irmalee Ross and Gary Gray, his sister, Juanita

Jensen, his grandchildren and his great-grandchild; and be it further

Resolved, That the love of Nevada expressed in numerous ways by R.

Guild Gray throughout his life may live on in the hearts of those who knew

him and those who continue to be inspired and taught by his published

works; and be it further

Resolved, That the residents of Nevada hold the memory of R. Guild

Gray as someone he described in a poem from Nature Sings:

Blessed

Are those who sing at daily toil,

Who find a joy in tasks begun,

Who know their sunlit paths will end

With pride in goodly works well done.

And be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly prepare and transmit a

copy of this resolution to the children of R. Guild Gray, Irmalee Ross and

Gary Gray, his sister, Juanita Jensen, and the R. Guild Gray Elementary

School.

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