Our beloved father, grandfather, great grandfather, brother, and friend, Bernard Leroy Grayson, age 90, passed away on April 7, 2015 in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Leroy was born in Cumberland, Maryland on June 24, 1924 to Bernard Edward and Marie Helen Grabenstein. Leroy graduated Allegany High School. Almost immediately after turning 18 he joined the Army Air Corp and headed for navigator school at Wheeler Field in Florida. Upon graduation from navigator school he was assigned with a crew to Italy where he and the crew flew 51 bombing missions in the B24 Liberator, "Hard Guy". After returning from WWII he married his high school sweetheart, Alma L. Phillips. They both attended Ursinus College in Collegeville, PA, and graduated with Bachelor of Science degrees. He was offered the opportunity to pursue a Master of Science Degree at MIT, but was reactivated into the Air Force and assigned another combat tour of duty in Korea. While in the service Leroy and his family had a wonderful life relocating to places like, Washington DC, Tokyo, Japan, Enid, OK, Izmur, Turkey, and Langley AFB, Virginia. His final orders brought them to Ft. Douglas in Salt Lake City in July 1962. Along the way they had five sons, Larry, Tom, Scott, Mike and Terry.
Leroy was involved in the Boy Scouts of America as a Boy Scout leader, Holiday Boys Baseball as League President and President of the congregation at Our Saviors Lutheran Church for a number of years.
He enjoyed golfing with his sons and league bowling for many years. He was adventurous enough to enjoy water skiing, parasailing at Lake Powell and trail biking on a Honda 90 with his sons on family camping trips.
Leroy is survived by his five boys and their spouses, 14 grandchildren, four great grandchildren, and his brother Anthony Grabenstein. He was preceded in death by his wife Lee and sisters, Kathleen and Rose.
Graveside services will be at Larkin Sunset Gardens Cemetery to be determined at a later date. In lieu of flowers the family suggests donations be made to the Disabled American Veterans in Leroy's name.
