Nellie Gray R.I.P.

[Dawn Marie]

Dear Readers,

 

There are people in our lives that we rely on and think they'll always be there. When it's time to perform certain tasks, we think of them.

When it's time to make our regular plans we think of them. Nellie Gray was that special someone all of us prolifers came to rely on, someone

none of us could ever imagine not being there. Nellie Gray is truely one of those people.

 

 

                                                                                                         Nellie's last march

                    

    1924 to August 13, 2012

                                                                           Nellie's motto: "No exceptions. No compromise."

             

                 

                                                                                           The fruits of Nellie's life-long labors

                    Nellie organized her first March For Life in January 1974. I made mine in January 1976. I drove from Erie, Pa. to Washington, DC with three

little girls in the back seat of a car I wasn't sure would make it, but I was determined to be there. Laura was 5, Allysa was 3 and Heather was

a year and half. When I arrived near the podium where Nellie was speaking my very first impression was her force of presense, her passion,

her devotion and love for those tiny invisible souls. I thought to myself, "Wow, who is that?" That impression would impact me for the rest

of my life. (continued part 2)

 

 

                                      The 'Legacy of Nellie Gray' will live on

 

                  

 

March for Life founder passes away
Last night came sad news that the 88-year-old founder of the March for Life, Nellie Gray, had passed away.

Nellie J. Gray (1924-2012) was an American pro-life activist, who founded the annual March for Life in 1974,

following the Supreme Court ruling, Roe v Wade, which decriminalized abortion the previous year.

A native of Texas and a Roman Catholic convert, Gray enlisted June 27, 1944 at Camp Bennett, Texas, and

served as a corporal in the Women’s Army Corps during World War II. She later earned a bachelor’s degree

in business and a master’s in economics.

She was an employee of the federal government for almost three decades, at the Departments of State and Labor.

After attending Georgetown University Law School, she became a practicing lawyer. After Roe v Wade, she retired

from her professional life and became a pro-life activist, beginning with the March for Life.

That first March saw 20,000 attend. Participation has grown every year to several hundred thousand, many to most young.

And Nellie has attended every one.

Monica Miller of Citizens for a Pro-Life Society, wrote in an email:

A pro-life giant has died today.  With Nellie Gray’s passing I am prompted to think about the self-less warriors who

when they were in their 40s or 50's jumped into the cause of life when Roe v. Wade was handed down and dedicated

their remaining years – decades of dedication – to ending the slaughter of the unborn.

Nellie is in those ranks of the first leaders who showed the rest of us the way.

I last saw Nellie in Washington, D.C., in July, looking as spry as ever. Her death comes as a shock.

Nellie was an important figure in our movement. We can thank her for helping inspire two generations to pro-life youth, for

launching an annual touchstone for our movement, and for providing a yearly reminder to the world of the devastating Roe v. Wade decision.

Nellie will be missed.

 

Remembering Nellie Gray, America’s Pro-Life Sweetheart

Anna Maria Hoffman
August 14, 2012

 

Nellie Gray, the founder of March for Life, passed away this past weekend. Through tireless dedication to the pro-life movement,

Ms. Gray united pro-life people from all walks of life through the march she founded in 1974, which marked the one year anniversary

of Roe v. Wade. She started the march so pro-life people across America could come together and mourn the lost lives of America’s

most defenseless and innocent population—the preborn.

 

Ms. Gray’s heartfelt motivation to protect America’s preborn children stemmed from her military service in World War II. During the

war, Ms. Gray served as a corporal in the Women’s Army Corps (WAC), and was deeply distraught that many innocent lives were lost

in the Holocaust. Once the war ended, Ms. Gray became more aware of the perils of abortion and was propelled to combat America’s

very own holocaust–the unjust, merciless killing of innocent preborn boys and girls.

 

Pro-life unity formed the core of Ms. Gray’s motivation for protecting the preborn. To accomplish such a goal, Ms. Gray encouraged

Dr. Alveda King, the

director for Priests for Life’s African-American Outreach, said that “Nellie Gray knew that abortion took a heavy toll from the black

Janet Morana, the co-founder of the

Silent No More Awareness Campaign, thanked Ms. Gray for “recogniz[ing] that the women who have had abortions speak with unquestioned

authority about the ways they have been harmed by this choice.”

 

Because of Ms. Gray’s work, March for Life has truly changed lives by motivating Americans to take a stand for the protection of America’s

Father Frank Pavone, the National Director for Priests for Life, noted that “Nellie Gray and the March for Life

had a most profound effect on my life” simply because both solidified his decision to seek priesthood. Moreover, March for Life, which has

a high youth turnout rate, has propelled my generation to continue defending the preborns’ God-given right to life.

 

As the 39^th annual March for Life approaches, we must never forget to champion and honor Nellie Gray’s humanitarian impact on the hearts

and minds of millions of Americans. To further her legacy, we must continue to unite more Americans on the sanctity of life.

In the wake of Nellie’s passing, the March for Life Board of Directors have named Patrick Kelly as Interim Chair of the Board and Jeanne Monahan

as Interim President of the Board.

The Board of Directors will continue to honor Nellie’s memory by doing everything possible to protect the unborn–no exceptions, no compromise!

[Dawn Marie]

Eternal rest grant unto her O Lord and let Thy perpetual light shine upon her.  May her soul and all the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.

Amen

[Dawn Marie]

Protect the unborn–NO exceptions, NO compromise!

 

* Not sure why the formatting came out so strange on this article.  Sorry...

[0dxenox7wqztx]

Eternal rest grant unto her O Lord and let Thy perpetual light shine upon her. May her soul and all the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.

Amen