A CELEBRATION OF THE LIFE OF CHARLIE BRAYA Memorial Celebration for Charlie Bray was held on October, 17 in Washington, D.C. The Celebration was organized by F. Allen ("Tex") Harris, Princeton '60, one of Charlie's colleagues in the U.S. Foreign Service. Most of the speakers had served with Charlie in the Foreign Service and the U.S. Information Agency. They gave wonderful testimony about Charlie's many achievements in the Foreign Service, including his years as State Department spokesman during the tenure of Secretary of State William Rogers.
Also present were Charlie's widow, Katie Gingrass, Charlie's children, Chip, Dave, and Kathy Bray, Katie's daughter and several grandchildren. Chip Bray made a moving statement of appreciation for the life of his father. Classmates Tom Boycott spoke about Charlie's years at Princeton, and Kenly Webster spoke about Charlie's contributions to Project 55. Other classmates present were: Steve Boyd, Jerry Lambert, Oral Miller, and Tony Quainton.  In living Memory
Charles W. Bray  Bray retired in late 1997 after 10 years as president of The Johnson Foundation at Wingspread in Before assuming the presidency of the Foundation, he served for almost 30 years as a career diplomat: as Press Spokesman for the Department of State in the Nixon Administration, as Deputy Director of the United States Information Agency under President Jimmy Carter, as Director of the National Foreign Affairs Training Center, and as Ambassador to Senegal for President Ronald Reagan, among other positions. During his public service, Mr. Bray received:
· the Freedoms Foundation Award in 1980 · the President’s Distinguished Service Award in 1984 · the Department of State’s Distinguished Honor Award in 1988 Dedicated to civic involvement in · served as founding Board Chair of Ten Chimneys Foundation, the organization that restored the estate of Broadway legends Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne and opened it to the public as a world-class house museum and national resource for theatre and the arts; · conceived, helped found, and served as a Board member of Leadership Racine, a program to develop community leadership potential in mid-career professionals in · supported the planning and development of Sustainable Racine, an effort to strengthen the community in a variety of ways, including sustainable environmental practices; · helped found and served as Board member of the · assisted in the establishment of Youth as Resources in A 1955 graduate of Princeton University, Bray also helped found and served as President/CEO of
Arrangements are being handled by Feerick Funeral Home,
The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, those so inclined make a contribution to Ten Chimneys Foundation (PO Box 225, Genesee Depot, WI 53127), Public Allies (611 W. National Ave., Suite 314, Milwaukee, WI 53204), or Racine Youth Leadership Academy (725 Lake Avenue, Racine, WI 53403). RELATED ARTICLES
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Bray is survived by his wife, Katherine Gingrass, owner of the Katie Gingrass Gallery on Broadway; his children by a previous marriage, Charles, Katherine, and David; four grandchildren; his two brothers, Richard and Thomas; Gingrass’s children by a previous marriage, Charles, David, Mary, Sarah, and Amy; and Gingrass’s nine grandchildren.