Susan Elizabeth Russell Gray

Susan Elizabeth Russell Gray left her earthly home, surrounded by family, on May 24, 2014, to rest peacefully and happily in the sight of God after a valiant battle with cancer. Susan was born in Wilkinsburg, PA on February 6, 1939, to Col. Richard and Lillian Russell and, as an “Army Brat”, lived in many places before her family moved to Hughesville, PA where she attended school prior to graduating from Penn Hall Prep School in Chambersburg, PA in 1957.

During her years of marriage, Susan had the opportunity to travel and enjoyed living several years in Taipei where she taught English to the officer staff on a Chinese Naval Base. With her family, she subsequently settled in the Atlanta area where she founded and successfully operated Allied Asbestos Abatement, Inc., a leading asbestos removal company in the southeast, and served as president and CEO until 1996. Subsequently, Susan re-established a friendship with Richard Gray, her high school sweetheart, and joined him in December 1997 to assist in the management of a retail venture in Seattle. The couple married in February 1998 and in 2000 relocated to Greensboro, NC where they jointly opened and successfully operated an office of Home Instead Senior Care, a non-medical in-home service for older adults. Following the sale of that business in 2008, they were honored by being named Owners Emeritus of Home Instead Senior Care and after establishing DNS Services, LP; they continued to consult for Home Instead until Susan fell ill in mid-2013.

Susan’s passions included 20 grandchildren, the violin, golf, cooking and gardening. Over the years, she participated with various orchestras including most recently the Brevard Philharmonic and the Hendersonville Community Orchestra. Susan was also an active member of the Hendersonville Country Club “18 Holers” women’s golf group.

Having been preceded in death by her parents, brothers Richard and Robert and daughter Barbara McKinney, Susan is survived by her loving husband C. Richard Gray of Hendersonville, NC, sons Donald (Christie) Bohensky and children of Molena, GA, Robert (Sherry) Bohensky of Alpharetta, GA, David Bohensky of Seminole, FL, grandson Benjamin (Femy) McKinney and son of Davenport, FL, son Dr. Richard (Susie) Gray and children of Fox Island, WA, daughter Erin (Douglas) Walter and children of Carol Stream, IL, son Michael (Jill) Gray and children of Wheaton, IL, and daughter Heather (Colman) Gately and children of Galway, Ireland.

A Catholic Mass honoring Susan will be offered June 7 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Andrew’s Catholic Church, 675 Riverside Road, Roswell, GA to be followed at 1:30p.m.by burial at Arlington Memorial Park, 201 Mt. Vernon Hwy, Sandy Springs, GA. For those interested, a donation in Susan’s name may be made to the HOME INSTEAD SENIOR CARE FOUNDATION, 13323 California St., Omaha NE 68154, or if you prefer, flowers are not discouraged.