Forename of deceased Surname of deceased Date of death Age at death Date of birth Sex of deceased Registration district
D/1961/138/1017/23/200 Samuel Gray 4th December 1961 50 Male Limavady(pre-1973 Q4)
Date: 25th July 2005
Source: Aunt Moira to me by telephone, relating the sequence of events leading to the death of my father.
October 1960, my father had an operation for oesophageal cancer but was NOT told that he had a year to live. My mother WAS told. This was standard procedure in those days.
December 1960, my grandmother was upsetting my grandfather by pressing him to tell my father that his time was limited so that he could "be saved" (a Presbyterian doctrine that you only go to heaven if you "take the Lord as your personal saviour").
December 1960, Moira told my tearful grandfather that it was up to my mother to decide what and when to tell my father and that it should be left in the Lord's hands.
April 1961, my grandfather died suddenly partly due to the worry over my father's illness.
June 1961, my mother and father visited Moira and Dick in Surrey and went to Westminster Chapel, where the sermon began with the words, "What would you do if you only had 6 months to live?" Moira believes this inspired my father to decide to become saved.
November 1961, my mother rang Moira to say that my father had been further inspired by the text, "Whosoever will, may come," and was "saved".
4th December 1961, my father died, aged 50.