William E. Gray of Hopkinton died on Monday, May 20, 2013 at home surrounded by his loving family after a long period of declining health at the age of 73. He was born in Marlborough, MA on September 10, 1939 and was the son of the late Asa E. Gray, Jr. and Virginia A. (Merrills) Gray. He was the husband of Gretchen (Stone)(DePremio) Gray for 32 years. He was raised in Fayville, MA attending the Miss Neary's one room school house, and was a graduate of Peter's High School in Southboro in 1957. He was a Southboro boy scout for many years. He was a Reserve Police Officer with the Southboro Police Department from 1962 to 1972, often working alone, and had a station wagon as a police car and ambulance. He was a member of the Fayville Athletic Association, serving on the Board of Directors for many years. In 1978 he became a member of the St. Bernard's Lodge of Masons in Southboro, MA and was Master of the Lodge in 1981. He continued as a Mason even after St. Bernard's Lodge merged with the Marlboro Masonic Lodge and received recognition of his 35 years as a Mason in March of this year. Mr. Gray worked a short time at Fenwal Corporation in Ashland, MA before becoming an apprentice plumber for Labarre Plumbing in Southboro. He became a Master plumber and member of Union Local 12 working on many large construction sites in the area as well as in Nova Scotia. He went to work in the Plumbing Shop at Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA in 1974 working his way up to becoming the Head of the Plumbing Shop and retired from the College in 2004. He loved the outdoors, fishing in the ocean or lakes between Nova Scotia and Cape Cod and as far west as Lake Ontario. During the fall he looked forward to hunting with his best friends Jack Hempel and Olivio Minnucci and Cousin Brian Sora. A few years before retiring, he attended a night class at Algonquin Regional High School for relief carving and that was the beginning of bird carving which he enjoyed doing for the next twelve years. He became a member of the N. E. Woodcarvers Inc. and received numerous ribbons at their annual carving shows. Besides his wife he is survived by his loving step-children, Heather L.(DePremio) Parker and her husband Dean of Douglas, MA and Geoffrey DePremio of Hopkinton, MA; his sisters, Sandra and her husband Wendell Schofield of Worcester, MA and Cheryl Gray of Dillon, S.C.; many cousins, nieces and nephews, as well as his previous wife and friend, Mora Gray of Framingham, MA. He was pre-deceased by his infant son Shawn Gray, daughter Shelly Gray, and step-son Gregory DePremio, Jr. In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorial contributions be made to the Massachusetts Audubon Society, 28 South Great Rd., P.O. Box 9102, Lincoln, MA 01773; the N.E. Woodcarvers Inc., c/o Jim Hayden, 5 East River Place, Methuen, MA 01844, or the Arthritis Foundation, 29 Crafts St., Suite 450, Newton, MA 02458-1274.