**********Report on the funeral and memorial service for Coach Tommy Grayson(Eastern Guilford HS/Guilford College) from Coach Nick Black, head baseball coach, at Guilford College…**********
Coach Grayson’s memorial service is going to be Saturday, September 21 at 1:00 over at Eastern Guilford High School.
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Guilford Athletics
@goquakers
· Sep 2
Tommy Grayson ’68, one of the all-time Guilford Athletics greats, passed away Sunday at his home after a lengthy illness. He was a 3-sport performer who had an accomplished career as a teacher & coach in central N.C. http://guilfordquakers.com/x/7gky1 #WeAreGuilford #CradleofCoaches
Obituary for Guy Wayne Butler
from the Forbis and Dick Funeral Services website:/www.forbisanddick.com and CLICK HERE to see an outstanding photo of Wayne Butler….
GREENSBORO – Guy Wayne Butler passed away on Sunday, September 1, 2019 at Friends Homes West Health Care Center. A Celebration of Life service will be held in the Living Room at Friends Homes West at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 8, 2019 with Pastor Jill Alventosa-Brown officiating.
Wayne was born in Greensboro, NC on March 25, 1948. He is predeceased by his parents, Pauline and Howard Butler as well as his brother, David Butler. He is survived by his wife, Karen Ljung Butler, his daughter, Courtney Dagger and her husband Thomas Dagger and his grandson, Colin Michael Dagger. He is also survived by his nieces Tina Kraus and Teresa Kasey.
Wayne showed great courage in facing a three-year illness. We are lonely for his presence, his warmth, his humor and compassion. The family is grateful to the Health Care Staff at Friends West for their loving care of Wayne.
Wayne had a deep sense of commitment to causes that affected several generations of Guilford County youth. He grew up in Greensboro and graduated from Smith High School where he was an offensive lineman on the football team. He earned a football scholarship to Elon College where he played for legendary coach Red Wilson. After graduation from Elon, where he majored in Parks and Recreation as well as Political Science, Wayne joined Greensboro’s Parks and Recreation Department, specializing in athletics and served as Athletics Director. He oversaw the Pony and Colt baseball leagues for many years.
Wayne devoted over two decades to officiating college, high school and amateur level sports. He also served as an assistant coach for girls’ basketball at Grimsley High School, working with Phil Weaver. He was an outstanding Fast Pitch softball umpire, calling in the Athletic Coast Conference (ACC), Amateur Softball Association (ASA) and North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) including two state championship series. He officiated high school, football, basketball and volleyball with the North State, Triad Basketball, Northwest and Central Carolina Officials Association.
After retirement from the Greensboro Parks and Recreation, Wayne began a second career as a Special Education assistant at Grimsley High School He was a huge Boston Red Sox and Duke University fan.
In his “spare time,” Wayne was the crew chief and leader of the scorekeeping and clock operations function at the Greensboro Coliseum for over 25 years.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you please consider a gift in Wayne’s name to the Friends Homes Resident Retirement Fund, 6100 West Friendly Avenue, Greensboro, NC 27410. Forbis and Dick Guilford Chapel is serving the family.
To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of Guy Wayne Butler please visit our Sympathy Store.
from the Rich and Thompson Funeral Service in Burlington:
Thomas T. Grayson/Coach Tommy Grayson, 74, of Burlington, passed away on Sunday, September 1, 2019 at his home.
Arrangements are incomplete.
Rich and Thompson Funeral and Cremation Service in Burlington is assisting the family….
++++++++++More on Tommy Grayson:++++++++++
FEBRUARY 19, 1945 – SEPTEMBER 1, 2019 Thomas Tucker Grayson of Burlington, NC, died at his home on Sunday, September 1, 2019, surrounded by his beloved family and pets. He was 74.
A Lexington, NC native and Lexington High graduate, Tommy attended Chowan Junior College, then Guilford College, where he was a standout football, basketball and baseball player. He signed with MLB’s Detroit Tigers after graduating in 1968 and spent five years in the Detroit Tigers’ baseball organization, reaching the Class AAA level, before returning to Guilford County to teach and coach.
Over the years, Tommy taught and coached at many local schools but spent most of his career at Eastern Guilford High School. In his 17 years there, he served as head coach in football, basketball, baseball, wrestling, track and field and golf (not all at once!).
He also was the head football coach at Rockingham County High School for eight years. He retired from teaching in 2002 but continued to assist in coaching the baseball and football teams at Guilford College for more than a decade. He touched countless lives as a teacher and coach. He was inducted into the Davidson County Sports Hall of Fame, the Guilford College Athletics Hall of Fame, the Chowan Sports Hall of Fame and the Guilford County Sports Hall of Fame. Earlier this year, he received the Eastern Guilford High School Lifetime Wildcat Award.
Tommy was a truly great man. He was incredibly kind and loving, and despite how much his friends and family admired him, he was exceedingly humble. He had more friends than you could count and would meet someone he knew everywhere he went, whether it was here in town or across the country. His closest friends were steadfast and supported him until the very end. He loved animals and always had a houseful of them. He adored his eight grandchildren and was an amazing Paw Paw to all of them. He was so proud of his three daughters and loved them more than almost anything.
Most of all, though, he loved his wife. He thought she hung the moon. He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Pam Grayson; his daughter, Miffy Grayson, his daughter Molly Grayson-McDonald and son-in-law Mat McDonald; his daughter Meghan Dovenbarger and son-in-law Matt Dovenbarger; his two sisters, Judy Gibson and brother-in-law Butch Gibson, Ruthie Toler and brother-in-law Benji Toler; and his brother-in-law Bobby Leonard.
Other survivors include eight grandchildren and many nieces, nephews and great-nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents Buddy and Daphne Grayson, brother Bob Grayson, and sisters Martha Leonard and Becky Patterson.
Tommy’s friends and family know how much he loved Guilford College and Eastern Guilford High School. Therefore, in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to either: Eastern Guilford High School Athletic Booster Club (EGHSABC), c/o EGHS, 415 Peeden Dr., Gibsonville, NC, 27249; or Guilford Football or Guilford Baseball, c/o Guilford College, 5800 W. Friendly Ave., Greensboro, NC, 27410. Please indicate that your donation is in memory of Coach Tommy Grayson.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, September 21, 2019, at 1 p.m. in the auditorium at Eastern Guilford High School. Please join us to celebrate Tommy’s life and legacy. Condolences may be offered at www.richandthompson.com. Rich & Thompson Funeral and Cremation Service 306 Glenwood Ave., Burlington, NC 27215