I’m sharing lessons learned from the memorial service of my long-time friend and mentor Skip Gray.

Philip Louis “Skip” Gray, October 18, 1930 – November 13, 2021

Yesterday, I reported some of the one-liners that the speakers shared.

Jerry White, former International President of The Navigators, who was mentored by Skip, gave us some of Skip’s history. Here are a few snippets:

Skip was one of the founding fathers of the modern-day Navigators: 1956 onward…He embodied one-on-one discipleship, investing in people for their good…He gave 68 years of service to The Navigators:

• He helped with fund-raising to buy Glen Eyrie back in 1953
• He was on loan to Campus Crusade for Christ (now called CRU) and Youth for Christ.
• He served at every leadership level we have: area director, regional director, US/Canada Director, Glen Eyrie Director – I think he served in every capacity except for the print shop and the kitchen!
• He loved field ministry spearheading ministries in Dallas, Pasadena, and Costa Rica [Skip remained fluent in Spanish. Less than 10 years ago, I took him to preach in a Spanish-speaking church I was working with.]
• In 1988 he started a ministry to medical doctors, which continued until his passing. [Many of those doctors were at the memorial.]

One of those medical doctors shared that Skip’s goal was for them to survive medicine with their family intact. Skip encouraged them, “Tell your wife, ‘I love you,’ every day.” The doctor said that Skip’s four convictions that he continued to impress on them were:

• The sovereignty of God
• The inerrancy and authority of scripture
• The worth of the individual
• Grace and the atoning work of Christ

In addition to all the good words, two aspects of the service were especially meaningful to me. Skip and Buzzie had three children (“We didn’t have four because I read that every fourth child born in the world is Chinese.”) Ken Gray was the oldest, and June and I remember seeing him at our earliest Navigator conferences in the late 60s. Ken might have been 14 at the time. Ken lives in our area and attends church with a good friend and long-time disciple Barry Weber. So I’ve seen Ken several times over the last few years. Ken also has very serious cancer.

Ken’s son Philip (named for Skip) was the first to read scripture. Notice in this picture how much he looks and even preaches like Skip! (And he wasn’t even preaching – he was just reading scripture.)

I was very moved to see Ken there. From a recent health update, I wasn’t sure he’d live until the memorial service or if he hadn’t passed, he’d be too weak to attend. I had prayed that God would heal him or at least allow him to be there. And he was.

Ken started by explaining, “One year ago, I was diagnosed with cancer. They gave me six months. So I’m six months past my expiration date!” He also explained that in addition to cancer, he had two ruptured Achilles tendons. That’s why Philip is standing there with him and why Ken is holding on to the microphone stand.

Ken said he went to many memorial services with his dad where Skip would say (quoting Yogi Berra), “You should always go to other people’s funerals; else, they won’t come to yours.”

I think it was Ken who mentioned Skip’s living out 2 Timothy 3.10:

But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose… (NKJV)

Skip didn’t impart doctrine (teaching) only, but lifestyle and purpose. He impacted thousands, including June and me.

Jerry White closed his remembrances with Hebrews 13.7:

Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. (ESV)

Thanks for going on this journey with me. There are lessons to be learned at memorial services!

It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. (Ecclesiastes 7.2, ESV)