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Larry David Gray, 57, of San Antonio, passed away on August 17th, 2024, in San Antonio TX Visitation will be held on August 28th, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM at Mission Park Funeral Chapels South, 1700 SE Military Dr, San Antonio TX, 78214. Funeral services will be held on August 29th, at 2:00 PM with visitation beginning at 1:00 PM at Mission Park Funeral Chapels South, 1700 SE Military Dr, San Antonio TX, 78214, with Chaplain Chuck Atanasio officiating. Burial will follow at Mission Park South Cemetery. David, as he was known to family and friends, was born in San Antonio TX to Larry T. and Margret D. Elkins Gray on December 7th, 1966. He had a colorful childhood growing up the 1970s and 80s on the far west side. As the eldest of four siblings, he was a fierce protector of his younger brother and twin sisters. He was a fearless kid who didn’t look for trouble but would never back down when trouble found him. A character trait that would persist throughout his life. As a child he roamed the streets of Westwood Terrace with his brother and their friends from dusk to dawn creating all the mischief that was typical of a boy in the 1970s. One of his fondest memories was of he and his brother getting up early on Saturday mornings, with tackle boxes and fishing poles in hand they would bike four miles to the “rock quarry” in Meadow Village. They would catch perch for hours and then cook them on a stick over a fire they built and have the fish for lunch. David played little league baseball for the Westwood Terrace Indians. An experience not unlike what was captured in the 1970s movie the Bad News Bears. The atmosphere of a night game in the neighborhood ballpark in the 70s was magical for a boy and it was something he often reminisced about. As a teenager he organized many a BB gun war in the woods surrounding that rock quarry where he and his brother caught so many perch, and nobody lost an eye. Later, he would ride the trails of those same woods on his Honda 250 dirt bike during the hot summer days of school break. With his brother and friends, they would play cat and mouse games with the local police who appeared to be having as much fun they were. Things were different back then. As time passed his love of dirt bikes gave way to love of cars. One of his first cars was a 1966 Chevy Nova with a blown engine. With the help of some friends, he rebuilt the engine, and that car was a beast. He even owned two 1972 Cadillacs at the same time. A coupe and a sedan. His favorite was the sedan. He and his friends went everywhere and did everything in that car. A lot of off-roading occurred in that Cadillac. He had a 1970 Mustang Grande three speed manual as well. But by far, the car he loved and cherished more than all the others was his red AMC Javelin with manual transmission and slant six motor. In the 1980s David was a fan of all the rock and metal bands of the time. He and his friends went to every concert that came to San Antonio. From super groups like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Scorpions, Ozzy Osborne, Queensryche, Motorhead and many more, to lesser-known acts like Accept and King Diamond. He was even at the tiny Cameo Theater in downtown San Antonio for the first of Metallica's three February 1985 sold out shows when they were a just a little known up and coming band. That night was legendary. Once David and his friends even worked as stagehands at the HWY 16 Raceway 99.5 KISS music festival in May of 1982, featuring Stevie Ray Vaughn, who he met personally that day. David attended John Jay High School and graduated in 1987. After graduation, he pursued several career paths including commercial pilot and dentistry. During this time, he married. Not long after that his daughter Lauren was born. She would be his absolute pride and joy for the rest of his Life. Soon After Lauren was born, he found his true calling in real estate and property management. He became a licensed realtor and property manager, well respected by his colleagues for his vast and intricate knowledge of real estate and property management law and regulation. He held the distinction of serving on the San Antonio Board of Realtors and held a committee position during his tenure on the board. It wasn’t unusual for him to come to the office on his personal time and stay late into the evening helping his colleagues with complex government contracts. David loved outdoor activities such as biking, boating, motorcycles, gardening and backyard astronomy just to name a few. He loved to cook, experimenting and trying new things. He liked to incorporate fresh vegetables from his garden into his cooking and he was famous for his avocado ice cream. David was a talented guitarist and pianist. He only needed to listen to a song and within minutes he could play it himself. He could fly single-engine propeller planes and was a friend to every needy animal that he ever encountered. He was proud of his mother and fathers' self-determination as small business owners. His brother's military service. His twin sister's devotion to their families as wives and mothers. Most of all he was proud of his daughter Lauren. He always bragged on her character, personality, intellect, school achievements, volunteerism and college acceptance. David was a unique and talented individual of high intelligence, who loved a spirited debate on everything from politics and philosophy to the nature of the universe. He loved life, his family and his friends. Above all else, he was a devoted father, son, brother and friend, a good man who will be sorely missed by all. David’s mother Margret D. Gray precedes him in death. He is survived by his, father Larry, daughter Lauren, brother Ronnie and sister-in-law Lisa, sisters Donna and brother-in-law Glenn, and Gail and brother-in-law Efrain, Stepmother Denise, former wife Alice, niece Sara, nephews Bret, Brandon, Thomas, Marcus and Michael, cousins Kendra, Steven, Daniel, Robert and Cindy, and stepsister Shannon. In lieu of flowers; memorial donations may be made to San Antonio Humane Society at https://sahumane.org/donate/ https://secure.qgiv.com/for/qgiv-newform2023?_ga=2.23363897.2026294889.1724167669-203432627.1724167668

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Larry David Gray

December 7, 1966 - August 17, 2024