From sharing his eye-opening cancer diary to photographing dozens of household names – Maurice Gray’s portfolio is one to be admired.
Diagnosed in early 2018 with non-Hodgkin's Follicular Lymphoma, Mr Gray died on Sunday, October 2, aged 80.
He worked as a freelance journalist in Norfolk for 40 years, beginning his career in East Anglia at the Lowestoft Journal.
Then, following his diagnosis, he shared the highs and lows of his terminal condition with 14 installments of his 'warts and all' cancer diary.
Born on July 3, 1942, in Croydon, South London, Mr Gray spent his youth in the area before taking up photography after leaving school. His career began helping out in a photography shop.
He worked on London papers and eventually moved to Norfolk during the early 1980s, where he continued his journalistic career.
As well as working for local papers, he also did work for The Stage and the nationals, as well as other magazines.
From the late 1970s right up until 2003, Mr Gray, something of a technophobe, would take his photographs to be developed before delivering them to be used in the newspaper.
On his 80th birthday, he spent the day in the garden and enjoyed a drive to Caister, where he had met his wife Margaret back in 2003 at the launch of her charity poetry book for the new Caister lifeboat, Bernard Matthews II.
The couple moved to Walcott and married on June 18, 2006, at Fleggburgh church.
Mrs Luckett-Gray would continue to support her husband’s career by carrying out most of his computer work, from typing up his articles to replying to emails.
During his career, he took pictures of figures from Peter Andre and Honor Blackman to the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, but his biggest love was covering stories for his local communities.
A funeral will take place on Saturday, October 15, 10.30am, at Walcott Church, followed by burial. Family flowers only. Donations to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals charity Weybourne Unit, where Mr Gray was treated, via Shane Stork Family Funeral Services, 104-106 Sprowston Road, Norwich, or 01603 702702.
Mr Gray leaves behind his widow, sister, two children, two grandchildren, two step-children, five step-grandchildren, and two step-great-grandchildren.
- To pay tribute to a loved one email norfolktributes@archant.co.uk
- To read more obituaries and tributes join the Facebook group Norfolk's Loved & Lost.
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