By Cliff Geisler, friend
I met Gary Wray about 30 years ago, when, after deciding that Lewes is where I would spend my retirement, I built my house in Covey Creek. Gary was in residence there and, when I began to meet the neighbors, Gary immediately stood out as someone special. As I explored my new surroundings, Gary was one of the first people to introduce himself and make me wise to the ways of Lewes, Sussex County, and lower, slower Delaware.
Our friendship really took off when I learned that we shared an interest in history. We had undergraduate and graduate degrees with a special emphasis on military history. We spent a great deal of time educating one another in our areas of expertise. It became clear to me very quickly that Gary’s knowledge of Fort Miles’ role in World War II was something out of the ordinary.
I had a general notion about significant military activity along the Atlantic Coast during the war, but I didn’t know details. Gary opened my eyes to the fascinating, complex and unique role that coastal Delaware played to support the U.S. contribution to the allied victory in WWII.
Remarkable career
Over time, I became aware of his truly remarkable career as an educator and public servant. I marvel to this day at his energy, intensity, intelligence, and dedication to the young people of our community. It seemed to me that he was always in the newspaper, or on TV, promoting a project where his advocacy for the students he was responsible for educating was on display.
About a decade ago, after years of trying, Gary finally persuaded me to become a member of the Fort Miles Historical Association board of directors. It was here that I really observed the scope of his accomplishments.
Vision for the museum
His vision for the future of FMHA and the Fort Miles Museum vividly illustrated his leadership, drive, his seemingly endless energy and his ability to reach far afield to get what he wanted for Fort Miles. His efforts occasionally met resistance, which did not deter Gary. His acquisition of the USS Missouri gun barrel is a classic example of his talent for mastering an arcane and complex federal bureaucracy and overcoming concern among FMHA members that we might be biting off more than we could chew, considering the project’s scope.
If I had to reduce Gary’s greatest talent to one word, I would have to say leadership. He knew what he wanted, he knew how to get it and, above all, he attracted the right people to help him move his ambition forward. FMHA and the Fort Miles Museum were and are a product of his single- mindedness, his leadership.
Beyond his love of history and his profession, he loved his family. Not once in all the hundreds of times we got together did he fail to tell me about the activities of his children, their partners and especially, most especially, his grandchildren. He was enormously proud of them all.
A long time ago, one of my elementary school teachers told me that if people were very lucky in life, they would meet at least one teacher whose ability to educate, influence, motivate and inspire would leave them with a lasting and positive gift. For many of us associated with Fort Miles, Gary Wray was that teacher.
Enduring memory
My most enduring memory of Gary will always be the sight of him on summer days when the Fort Miles Museum was open to the public. He is seated on a bench across from the USS Missouri gun barrel, just outside the entrance to Battery 519 and the museum. He has surrounded himself with passersby and is delivering an impromptu lecture on Fort Miles, its history, and its significance to our community. When he finishes, he invites his audience inside to see the exhibits.
I have no doubt that as Gary adjusts to his new existence, nothing much will change. In my mind’s eye, I see him now, seated on a bench just outside the Pearly Gates. He is wearing his West Virginia baseball cap, his FMHA hoodie and a pair of shorts. He is surrounded by a host of angels. Nearby are the 12 apostles. Gary is delivering a lecture on the history of heaven, and his audience is hanging on his every word. When he finishes, he will announce the formation of heaven’s first 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization — HHA, Hereafter Historical Association. He has persuaded the 12 apostles to join as the organization’s board of directors. Gary, of course, will be its president.
Sailors customarily wish departing shipmates “fair winds and following seas.” I hope that wherever this new adventure takes Gary, he finds those same fair winds and following seas.
