OBITUARY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8387, 25 March 1907, Page 6

OBITUARY.

MR WILLIAM GRAY. One of the most prominent 'and best known public officials in New Zealand, Mr W. Gray, Secretary of the General Post and Telegraph Department, died at Wellington, at midnight on Friday night, after a protracted illness. The late Mr Gray had been connected with the department of which he was secretary for over forty years, and was one of the best-known figures in official life in Wellington. Born in Aberdeen in 1844, he came to the colony with his parents when quite a boy, and completed his education at New Plymouth, where the family landed. In 1858 he entered a newspaper career in the Taranaki News office, and later on went on to the Examiner at Nelson, where he remained until 1864. Early in that year he decided to enter into the service of the colony, and accordingly joined the Postal Department, his first appointment being that of junior clerk in the Dunedin Post Office. The following year he was appointed to a clerkship in the dead-letter office in \ the Wellington General Post Office, and from 1866 to 1868 he filled the position of mail agent on the Panama line. In that year the Panama service was discontinued, and Mr Gray filled a similar position between New ( Zealand and Melbourne until the San Francisco service was inaugurated in 1870. He was then appointed clerk in the secretary's branch of the General Post Office; on May 20th, 1872, he was promoted to the position of chief clerk of the Gcneial Post Office, and two years later he was appointed to thu position of Secretary of the Postal Department. When the Postal and Telegraph Departments were amalgamated in January, 1881, Mr Gray was made secretary of the combined services. As a private citizen Mr Gray was perhaps best known as a bowler, although in previous years he was in the first flight of cricketers, and was one of Wellington's champion oarsmen. He was one of the founders of the Wellington Bowling Club, of which he had more than once been president, and a member of the Board of Directors. The deceased has left a family of five sons and one daughter. His eldest son, Mr W. A. Gray, is on the Union Company's Wellington staff; Mr C. Gray is a dentist atNew Plymouth; and Messrs P. and H. F. Gray are on the Eastern Extension Company's staff at Adelaide and Port Davwin, respectively. The funeral will take place at 9 o'clock this morning. The flag at the Masterton Post Office was flown at half-mast, on Saturday and Sunday,. out of respect to the memory of the deceased.