Jesse Gray Winfrey

Jesse Gray Winfrey - Oriental NC

June 7, 1960 - September 28. 2022

Husband, father, son, brother, friend. After a two-year battle with Metastatic acinic cell carcinoma, Gray passed away at 10:28 am on September 28, 2022.

Gray grew up in Raleigh but spent weekends and summers in Oriental. After graduation in 1978 from Needham Broughton High School in Raleigh he moved to Oriental full time.

Gray loved Oriental. Learning to sail on the Pecan Mary with Mr. Carl Neuinburg. He spent many hours in and on the Neuse River boating, skiing, and relaxing with family and friends.

In June 1981, he would meet the love of his life, asking her in October 1983 to be his wife. In January 1984, he married Sarah Lupton Winfrey. At the beginning of their marriage, Gray sold cars for Tryon Chevrolet in New Bern and later for Mike Leith in Raleigh, Sanford, Henderson, Greenville and Monroe. Car sales also took him to Trent Olds and Chevrolet of New Bern. He had a gift for sales and enjoyed buying and selling cars personally over the years, flipping many of those cars and trucks for a profit.

Returning to his parents’ newspaper, The Pamlico News, he found a passion for printing and purchased a commercial print shop from his parents in 1994. The following year, his wife joined him full time as co-owner and operator of Village Graphics Printing. They worked there for 19 years before selling the printing business in 2013 and taking some much needed time off. In 2015, they joined up again purchasing a t-shirt printing business, ONC Tees, which they operated from 2015 to 2020.

His last employment was with SpotOn Credit Card Processing where, again, he soared in sales, receiving several awards during his time with the company before leaving due to his health.

If you had the pleasure of spending time with Gray, the conversation would have more than likely turned to his love for Jesus Christ. In his last month of life he witnessed to doctors, nurses, technicians, and anyone else who would listen.

He is preceded in death by his father, Henry Gray Winfrey, his mother, Nancy Sanderson Winfrey, and his sister, Sallie Rush Winfrey.

Gray leaves behind his wife of 38 years, Sarah Lupton Winfrey, his daughters; Rebecca, Samantha (Vinny) and Elizabeth, his sister, Frieda Hudson, his brother, Sandy Winfrey (Kathy), Mother-in-Law, Brittie Gray Popp, and Sister-in-Law, Joyce Breton (John), and nephew, TW Harris  (Andrea),

Niece Nancy Hudson, Jessica Hudson Wenzel (Florian), Nephew Hank Winfrey, great nieces Madison & Emily, Great Nephews Benjamin & Brayden.

A memorial service will be held on October 1, 2022, at Broad Creek Christian Church 45 Olympia Road, New Bern NC. With visitation from 2 to 3 with the service following.

In lieu of flowers please make a donation to one of the following in Gray’s memory:

Journey of Hope CCHC Foundation 1010 Medical Park Ave. New Bern, NC 28562

Craven County Hospice PO Drawer 12610, New Bern, NC 28561

Pamlico County Hospice PO Box 6, Bayboro, NC 28515

Broad Creek Christian Church 45 Olympia Rd., New Bern, NC 28560