Irene Elizabeth (Nettles) Gray, 81, passed away peacefully  into her eternal home in the early morning of August 18, 2018.
Born on September 4, 1936, in Newport News, Va., she had been a Hampton resident for more than 50 years.   Irene was a homemaker and loved doing things for her family.  She loved spending time with her grandchildren and great grandchildren; they were the loves of her life. She was a long time member of Ivy Memorial Baptist Church.
Irene is preceded in death by her parents, James K. Nettles, Sr, and Lelia W. (Dobbins) Nettles.  Her two brothers; James K. Nettles, Jr., and Robert E. Nettles, Sr.
Survivors include her husband of 56 years, William Nelson Gray, Jr. A son, William "Nelson" Gray, III, of Virginia Beach, Va., her daughter, Susan E. Likert of Hampton, Va.  Two grandchildren, Randall Likert, Jr. and Elizabeth McIntire, and four great grandchildren, Racheal, Robbie, Rebecca and Ruth.  Two sisters, Josephine Byrum of Newport News, Va. And Hilda McGhee of North Carolina.  She is also survived by two sisters-in-law, Evelyn Nettles and Flora Nettles along with several nieces and nephews and many beloved friends.
The family will receive friends on Monday, August 27, 2018 from 6:00-7:30pm at R. Hayden Smith Funeral Home. A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, August 28, 2018 at 1:00pm at R. Hayden Smith Funeral Home, 245 S. Armistead Ave. Hampton, Va. 23669. Interment will follow at Albert G. Horton Jr. Veterans Cemetery, 5310 Milners Rd., Suffolk.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Ivy Memorial Baptist Church.