Donald Gray Death, Obituary – On November 30, 2022, Donald Gray, an emeritus faculty member of the CEE department, passed away. The University of California, Berkeley is where Professor Gray earned all of his degrees, making it his alma mater. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Geological Engineering in 1959, a Master of Science degree in Petroleum Engineering in 1961, and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Civil Engineering (1966). During his time at Berkeley, he was an active participant in the Phi Kappa Sigma Fraternity as well as the Order of the Golden Bear. In 1966, he was given the position of Assistant Professor in the U-M CEE, and in 1975, he was elevated to the position of Professor.
Professor Gray was given a position on the University of Michigan’s Board-in-Control of Intercollegiate Athletics, and he also served on the Board of the Nichols Arboretum, holding the position of president during one of his terms on the board. The fields of geotechnical engineering and slope stability were Professor Gray’s areas of expertise. He instructed students at the graduate and undergraduate levels in subjects like engineering geology, foundation engineering, biotechnical slope protection, engineering geology, engineering property of soils, and soil and site improvement. His primary areas of scientific interest were slope stability, earth reinforcement, and soil bioengineering. He also had an interest in soil morphology.
Before beginning his career in academia, Professor Gray worked as a petroleum engineer with Mobil International Oil Company from 1959 to 1960. This position was part of Professor Gray’s industrial experience. In addition to that, between the years 1963 and 1966, he worked for Chevron Research Company as a research engineer. He worked as a consultant for a number of organizations in the public and private sectors, including British Petroleum Exploration Ltd., the United States Corps of Engineers, the United States National Park Service, Ford Motor Company, and EBASCO Engineering Corporation.
In addition to being the primary author of more than one hundred papers and technical articles published in journals and symposia, Professor Gray was also the author of two books on biotechnical slope stabilization. Professor Gray took his retirement from the University of Michigan in the year 2001. He continued to take part in seminars and professional short courses, and he found great satisfaction in serving as an expert witness in various judicial proceedings. At the 2013 Geo-Congress, he was honored with the Ralph Peck Award, for which he also delivered the award talk. Individuals who have made remarkable contributions to the field of geotechnical engineering will be honored with this award.
On December 14, 1936, in San Salvador, El Salvador, Prof. Gray was born to parents who were originally from the United Kingdom. In 1948, his family made the journey across the ocean to the United States, where they eventually made their home in the San Francisco area. Prof. Gray is survived by his wife, Marcelle Gray; sons Ian Gray and Colin Gray; step-daughters Eileen Storer-Smith and Jeannie Thrall; and grandchildren Calvin, Spencer, and Eliza Thrall, Luther Smith, and Eva Gray. His step-daughters Eileen Storer-Smith and Jeannie Thrall also survive him. Jeannie, Ian, and Colin are all graduates of the University of Michigan. Grandson At the moment, Luther Smith is a student at the University of Michigan’s CEE.