David W. Gray, M.D.

David Warren Gray, M.D., 90, died in Lewisburg, PA on March 21, 2025, and the community lost a prolific storyteller.

Born in 1934 in Hull, IL, he graduated at 19 from Westminster College in Fulton, MO; the first in his family to attend a four-year college. In 1954, he married his longtime sweetheart, Nada Reichmann, before moving to Nashville. The couple met in junior high when David’s school was destroyed by fire, and he completed his schooling nine miles away in Hannibal, MO. His father, David Burton Gray, an enterprising businessman and farmer, had set up his own form of an HMO for his employees in collaboration with Nada’s father, a Hannibal physician. David enjoyed reminiscing about the close-knit framing community where he was raised, and how the party-line operator could tell him where his relatives were at any given moment. He often retold the story of meeting Nada for the first time in the school library. He attended Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, consuming many five-cent Krystal burgers to match his limited budget.

After medical school, David began his surgical training at Kansas City General Hospital with two exuberant boys at home (Brad and John), and one on the way (Rich). In 1961, during his residency, the U.S. Army drafted him to serve in a medical unit at Ft. Rucker, AL. The Army issued orders to Cuba, but a certain international crisis was averted, and he returned home late that evening. He often shared how his three boys rushed toward him, asking, “Daddy, Daddy, did you win the war?” to which he replied, “Yes, and didn’t take as long as we thought”.

Following his military service, David completed his residency in 1966, moving his family to Lewisburg, PA. His private practice spanned nearly four decades, included privileges at Evangelical Community Hospital, where in 1975, he served a stint as president of the hospital board, also serving on the hospital medical board from 1981 – 1983. He served on an advisory board for Vanderbilt as well. Dressed as George Washington, or a Victorian era physician with a leather satchel, and top hat, David walked in many community parades. Memorably, he had a knack for recalling names, genealogy, and how his relatives were related to one another. He was proud that in 1871, his great-grandfather, David Hull, helped found the town where he was born.

To his family and friends, he was a car aficionado, and a consummate raconteur who savored reading about, and recounting historic events. More recently, he liked watching “Ronnie” Reagan movies and other Westerns, sharing stories about Audie Murphy during World War II. Sometimes, he referenced speeches by Churchill, and other world leaders. David often recalled seeing Congressman John F. Kennedy debate on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives and liked saying that voting was a quintessential American duty.

He was enthusiastic about music ranging from Bach to big bands, and had a profound ability to recall lyrics, often regaling his family with song no matter what else might be going on in his home. Later in life, he was fond of The Lawrence Welk Show, NCIS, and watched some movies on repeat, such as Das Boot, The Red Shoes, or A Christmas Story (which always made him slap his thigh and laugh out loud). He and Nada spent many winters on Anna Maria Island on Florida’s west coast enjoying memorable sunsets, visiting family, and meeting up with friends. He often reminisced about college and medical school buddies, his eye for detail lending vivid color to his stories.

Among David’s joys were his wife’s tireless dedication to the community, his children and their wives, four grandchildren and their spouses, eight exuberant great-grandchildren, and his beloved red barn.

Graveside service will be held at 11:00 AM, Wednesday, April 2, 2025, at Kinderhook Cemetery in Kinderhook, IL. Online condolences may be left to the family at www.nieburfh.com. Niebur Funeral Home in Pittsfield is handling the arrangements.

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