James Gray

 

James Gray was born in May 1923 in Montrose, Scotland, the son of James and Matilda (Smythe) Gray and passed away peacefully in hospital on November 27, 2012 in Kentville, Nova Scotia. He is survived by his wife of 65 years Pamela Doris (Knight) and his daughter Caroline.

 

He graduated from the University of Aberdeen. His studies were interrupted by war service. After the war he was a student at Oxford University graduating with the B.A. (Honours) in 1948. Following research at Yale University, Columbia University and the University of Montreal he received the Ph.D. degree from the University of Montreal in 1970.

 

In 1948 he joined Bishop's University as a Lecturer in English, becoming an Assistant Professor in 1951, an Associate Professor in 1955 and Professor in 1958. He was Head of the Department from 1958-71, and Chair of the Division of Humanities 1971-72. In 1972 he moved to Dalhousie University on his appointment as Professor and Chair of the English Department. He was Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Science, 1975-80 and appointed Thomas McCulloch Professor of English Literature in 1980.

He served with British and Indian Armies in India and Burma 1943 - 46 and was demobbed with the rank of Major. Subsequently at Bishop's University he was the CO of O.T.C., 1952-60.

 

He was awarded the Coronation Medal in 1953, and the Jubilee Medal 1977.

 

His scholarship was recognized when he became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and the Royal Society of Canada. He was co-editor of The Sermons of Samuel Johnson 1978 and author of Johnson's Sermons: A Study, as well as numerous articles in the fields of Aesthetics, Literature Criticism and Biography. Active in professional and university affairs, he was national president of the Humanities Association of Canada, 1958-60, becoming an honorary member in 1986. One of his hobbies was philately and he wrote articles for the Canadian Philatelist and the American Philatelist. In 1999 he was awarded the 1999 Geldert Medal of the Royal Philatelic Society of Canada for the best article in the Canadian Philatelist.

 

Cremation has taken place and an informal memorial gathering will be held from 2-4 p.m., Friday, December 7, 2012 in the Wolfville Nursing Home, Wolfville, NS. Arrangements have been entrusted to the White Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Kentville.