Funeral arrangements were expected to be finalized soon for former member of the U.S. House of Representatives and Philadelphia minister William Herbert (Bill) Gray III.
William Herbert (Bill) Gray III.
Gray died on Monday, Julu 1, 2013 while attending the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London. He was 71 years-old.
A family spokesman said Gray had not been ill and that his death was sudden. It appears that he died from natural causes, according to the spokesman.
A memorial service is planned for Saturday, July 13 at Bright Hope Baptist Church in North Philadelphia at 11 a.m. Further memorial and funeral plans are expected to be finalized soon.
Born in Baton Rouge, La., Gray graduated from Simon Gratz High School in Philadelphia back in 1959. In 1972, he became the senior minister at Bright Hope Baptist Church, also in Philly.
Church leaders from Bright Hope Baptist learned of Gray’s death during an emergency meeting.
“We’re talking about someone who not only became majority whip but was the Barack Obama of his day.” said Rev. Kevin Johnson of Bright Hope Baptist.
“It’s heart-wrenching,” said Brenda Willingham, who attends the church. “It hurts so bad. He’s going to be truly missed by his congregation.”
In 1978, Gray was elected as a Democrat to represent Philadelphia in the House of Representatives. He represented Pennsylvania’s 2nd congressional district until he resigned in 1991.
Gray was also the first African American to chair the House Budget Committee and the first to serve as the Majority Whip.
“He was a big man doing a big job,” former Philadelphia Mayor Wilson Goode said. “He knew how to get stuff done.”
Goode, who was Philly’s first African American Mayor, says Gray paved the way for him and other African Americans in politics.
“He was a pathfinder,” Goode said. “He proved that an African American can run without party support.”
While chairman of the Committee on Budget, Gray introduced H.R. 1460, an influential antiapartheid bill.
From 1991 to 2004, Gray served as president of the United Negro College Fund.
Gray leaves behind a wife and three sons. The family spokesperson says funeral services will soon be announced.
President Obama released the following statement regarding the news of Gray’s death: “Bill Gray was a trailblazer, proudly representing his beloved Philadelphia in Congress for over a decade as the first African-American to chair the Budget Committee and to serve as the Majority Whip.
Bill’s extraordinary leadership, on issues from housing to transportation to supporting efforts that ended Apartheid in South Africa, made our communities, our country and our world a more just place. Michelle and I extend our deepest sympathies to Bill’s family, especially to his wife Andrea and their three sons.”