Dan W. Gray

Daniel Wyethe Gray (May 26, 1883 - July 30, 1949) was the Mayor of San Jose, California from 1926 to 1928. In 1925 he was president of the California Funeral Directors Association.

Biography

He was born on May 26, 1883 in Iowa City, Iowa.

He attended grammar school and high school in Des Moines, Iowa. Upon graduation from high school, he was a farm worker for several years. When he was 21, he came to California and worked for the Southern Pacific Railroad for 5 years. He went to work for the W. B. Ward Undertaking Co. in San Jose in 1911 and married Gertrude Ward, daughter of W. B. Ward soon afterwards. They had three children. He became manager of the firm in 1914 and was manager for 35 years. In July 1949 he was struck and killed by an automobile as he was crossing the street in front of the funeral home.

Gray had been active in San Jose civic affairs for most of his life. He was a member of the San Jose City Council in the 1920s and served as Mayor of San Jose, California from 1926 to 1928. Mr. Gray was an unsuccessful coroner's candidate in 1926. He was also a past exalted ruler of the San Jose Elks Lodge and past president of the San Jose Rotary Club.

He died on July 30, 1949.