John Duane Gray "JD"

John Duane Gray passed away on June 19, 2026, following a lengthy battle with dementia. John was born on September 18th, 1934, in Denver, Colorado to George and Helen Gray. John had one brother, Daniel Lee Gray (deceased 1970). John grew up in Denver and graduated from Denver West High School in 1952. John joined the Marines and served from 1952 to 1955, which included a tour in Korea at the end of the Korean War.

After military service, John married his first wife, Connie Wilson (deceased) and in 1957 they had his only child, a daughter, Kalole Lani Gray (deceased 2024). In 1969 John married the love of his life, Mary Lewis. They were married 48-years until Mary’s passing in 2016. John is survived by his twin nephews Gene and George Gray, to whom he was a father figure. He inspired them to become career police officers like himself. He is also survived by many great and great-great nieces and nephews.

After the Marines, John began his work life as an over the road truck driver for Gates Rubber Company. In 1961, he joined the Denver Police Department where he served with dedication and distinction until his retirement in 1999. John was notorious in the Denver community for his tireless pursuit of drug dealers and drug users. He was a pioneer in detecting and apprehending those who produced LSD in the mid 1960’s.

John was well known locally and nationally as an expert in script fraud investigation and taught in academies across the country. John impacted the careers of many officers, both inside and outside the Denver Police Department, through his work ethic, teaching, and mentoring. He is well revered in the history of the Denver Police Department.

John was known for taking great care of himself. He worked out religiously throughout his life and was very athletic. He was a pillar of good health. John competed in flag football, fast-pitch softball, basketball, boxing, horseback riding and the World Police Olympics. John ran the Denver Police Boxing program for many years and boxed into his fifties. He was described by many as a physical specimen.

John enjoyed life immensely with Mary. They did many things together. This included running a farm in Strasburg, both, while working full-time. John and Mary especially enjoyed traveling with their camper trailer, visiting Mary’s relatives in Louisiana and Alabama; and being camp hosts annually for many years in Texas.

John was loved, respected and idolized by those who knew him. He will be deeply missed and long remembered. He was one of the best.

John’s Celebration of Life:

John Gray was featured in the “Tale of The Dog” documentary, available on YouTube.

IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, MEMORIAL DONATIONS SUGGESTED TO:

The Denver Police Museum

https://denverpolicemuseum.org/donate/

Eulogies and Speeches

John Duane JD Gray

Celebration of Life

Thank you all for being here. Your presence means so much and is greatly felt and appreciated. We would like to thank everyone who helped put this event together. We also want to thank the designated speakers, who are sharing about John today.

My twin brother George and I are so honored to eulogize our Uncle John. We are better men due to John’s love and guidance. When our father, Danny, John’s younger brother, died tragically in 1970, John understood and accepted that he would be our father figure. From that moment on John guided us throughout our lives. He was an amazing role model to follow, which led both of us to become career police officers just like him.  We are so grateful for all he did for us.

So,

Some of you knew him as John, some as Duane, and some as JD. He claimed all three names at different times in his life. When he was younger most people referred to him as Duane. As he matured, he went by John and JD. I think he liked JD the most because it sounded more like a cowboy’s name.

John Duane Gray was born on September 18^th, 1934, in Denver, Colorado to George and Helen Gray. He grew up in Denver but spent a lot of time on his maternal grandparents, Henry and Emma Helming’s, farm in Strasburg, which they homesteaded in 1910.

Much of John’s life was shaped by his experiences on that farm. He learned so much from his grandpa and three uncles, Chuck, Allan, and Loyd Helming. This led John to eventually own his own farm a few miles from the homestead. John spoke many times about his time on the farm in Strasburg. This appears to be where he began his lifelong love of wanting to be a cowboy.

John graduated from Denver West High School in 1952 and soon after enlisted in the Marines. His father also served as a Marine in World War I. John was very proud to be a Marine. He rose to the rank of sergeant during his three years of service, which included a tour in Korea near the end of the war. John loved his Marine tattoos, which he proudly displayed on his very muscular arms.

After military service, John married Connie Wilson, and in1957 they welcomed John’s only child, a daughter, Kalole Nani Gray, who passed in 2024. During this time, John began working as an over-the-road truck driver for the Gates Rubber Company. John said he was inspired to be a truck driver by Connie’s father, whom John called “Pop Wilson.” After only a few years of marriage, John and Connie divorced. John remained a supportive co-parent to Kalole throughout her childhood. John loved Kalole and did his best to help her throughout her life.

In 1961 John became a Denver Police Officer. He said he was inspired to become a police officer after meeting several highway patrolmen across the country while he was driving truck over the road. He said he liked how they handled themselves and decided that’s what he wanted to do.

John had an incredible 37-year career with the Denver Police Department where he served with dedication and distinction. He worked numerous assignments including as a patrol officer, swat team member, training officer and most extensively as a vice/narcotics and intelligence detective.

John became an expert in script fraud investigations. He arrested doctors, nurses and drug addicts who forged or criminally used drug prescription slips to obtain drugs. This expertise led to an assignment to a drug task force with the DEA for the last 6 years of his career.

John was tenacious at finding and arresting drug dealers. He made many notorious arrests. He put a lot of drug dealers in jail and took a lot of dangerous drugs off the streets.

John was even featured in a 2020 documentary called Tale of the Dog, which chronicled a Denver hippie club called the Family Dog in 1967. John assisted in the arrest of the band Canned Heat, who performed at the Family Dog, for possession of marijuana and hashish. This led the owner of the club, Barry Fey, a notorious promoter in Denver, to briefly obtain a restraining order against John personally from coming into the club.

**Correction- Frank Salazar an attorney owned the club and obtained the restraining order, not Barry Fey. Fey was an involved promoter after the incident. **

This appears to be the first time a Denver Police officer had ever been issued a restraining order in the line of duty.  There are several articles about the incident in the scrapbooks on the memorabilia table.

When you check out the memorabilia table you will also see all the awards and accolades John received throughout his career.

One award that was very dear to John was when he was given national recognition for his fundraising efforts for Special Olympics. In 1989 he was recognized for being the highest fundraising police officer in the world, after having raised over $40,000 himself in a 4-year period.

In 1969, John married the love of his life, Mary Lewis, who was then a probation officer for the City of Denver. They were a stunningly beautiful couple. Soon after, they bought a farm in Strasburg. From 1970 to 1980, they managed their farm while both working full-time—an incredible accomplishment. John often said those years on the farm were the best years of his life.

John was a true cowboy; he trained and rode horses, drove all kinds of farm machinery, built fences, grew alfalfa, raised cattle, horses, goats, chickens, peacocks, and countless dogs and cats. He loved butting heads with his favorite goat, Abe!

John would say his greatest gift in life was Mary. They had a rare 47-year love affair that never wavered. In retirement they enjoyed traveling about the country in their camper trailer, even being camp hosts in Texas and New Mexico. They also enjoyed visiting friends and Mary’s family in Louisiana and Alabama.

John Gray can be best described as a tenacious cop, dedicated husband and uncle, cowboy, and a competitive athlete who competed in many sports including boxing, fast pitch softball, basketball, flag football, horseback riding, and the police Olympics. John was a true specimen of a man. His body was his temple, and he took great pride in being fit and strong. And he was always impeccably dressed in cowboy attire.  He did what he loved and loved what he did.

John passed away on June 19^th, 2026, at the age of 91, after a long battle with dementia. He spent his final 6-years content and was happy at the Stonebridge Assisted Living Facility in Arvada. It was an honor for George and I to care for John in the last 6 years of his life. He put complete faith and trust in us, and we were blessed to help him make it to the finish line.

George and I can’t express in words how grateful we are to the entire staff at Stonebridge for how well they took care of John. They treated him with the utmost dignity and respect. The care and compassion they gave John was truly special. It is a blessing John was able to pass peacefully and lovingly at Stonebridge.

I would like to close with a poem written by a member of his care team at Stonebridge.

He walked this life with quiet grace,

A gentle heart, a steady pace.

He wore his badge with strength and pride,

Protecting others by their side.

Though strong in duty, kind in soul,

His warmth and love made others whole.

A sweet man now at peaceful rest,

Forever loved, forever blessed.

His watch is done, his work complete,

He’s found his peace so calm and sweet.

Though we will miss his smiling face,

His memory lives in love and grace.

Geneva Brown Speech

Good morning. My name is Geneva Gray. I am George’s 2nd daughter. Thank you all for coming to celebrate the life and support the family of John Dwayne Gray. Some of you may know him as John, JD, Dwayne, Officer Gray, or Mary’s husband, but I know him as my grandfather. Technically he is my great uncle, but he was so much more than that.

When I was in college, John gave me what has become the greatest piece of advice I’ve ever received. He simply said, “Death is part of life. It is inevitable. Love doesn’t die.”

At the time, I just wanted a hug. I wanted sympathy. Instead, as always, John taught me a life lesson simply by being who he was. It wasn’t the answer I wanted then, but it’s the answer I need today.

John loved us fiercely, but not in the warm and fuzzy way people often imagine. He wasn’t overly sentimental or expressive. His love was matter-of-fact. It was consistent. It was teaching by example. It was doing the right thing because it was right. It was accountability. It was showing up. It was loving without compromise.

When I lived with John and Mary while I worked my way through college, I had the privilege of seeing that every day. Somehow they would “accidentally” buy the wrong gift cards that just happened to be for my favorite restaurants. We had our mystery dinners where everyone’s name was drawn from a hat to decide what part of the meal they would bring. Somehow, every single time, I ended up bringing the bread and the wine. Of course, they had to buy the wine because I wasn’t even twenty-one yet. I’m pretty sure those drawings weren’t nearly as random as they claimed.

Life with John had its rhythm. Coffee was made the proper way—pour over coffee, of course. Homemade yogurt with ginger, slivered almonds, and a drizzle of agave nectar. The news before supper. Old-school country music during dinner. Bing cherry ice cream for dessert. And the evening always seemed to end with a puzzle around the table. Those routines may have seemed ordinary then, but today they’re some of my most treasured memories.

John and Mary had grandchildren not by title, but that’s exactly who we were to them. Every one of us was loved in our own unique way.

John was a constant figure in my dad’s and Uncle Gene’s lives. He shared tougher lessons that we had…. like how to headbutt goats or punch horses in the head (breaking your hand a few times, I know my dad learned that one really well….), serving your community, and showing up even when it is tough. They obviously liked his career choice. They looked up to him from childhood through adulthood, and they passed that love and respect down to us- their children.

Kelsey was the first of our generation, and I know she held a special place in John’s heart as the beginning of a new branch of his family. Kali brought so much joy, and because of John’s dedication to the Special Olympics, I know he felt an especially deep connection with her. Adeline shared his competitive spirit, and he loved following her wrestling career. Gabriella made him incredibly proud by becoming a pilot in the Air Force. Even if she wasn’t a Marine, he deeply admired her willingness to serve. Kole, the only boy in the Gray line, was an addition John especially appreciated, not that girls don’t rule, sorry Kole. And Izabella, the baby of the family, was adored beyond measure for her kind heart and creative mind.

I intentionally saved myself for last. I wanted to end talking about my relationship with John because I feel the most blessed for getting to spend so much time with him when I lived with them.

John was our grandfather—not because of a title, but because of his actions. Every moment with him and Mary was filled with love, patience, pride, and genuine attention. Every soccer game, softball game, graduation, wedding, and random visit John showed up. John was there as an unwavering support. Living with them made me laugh, that I had somehow skipped ahead into the eighty-plus lifestyle. I thrived with the 8:30 pm bedtime, silent puzzle time, and early dinners. But in all seriousness those years shaped me. They taught me to evaluate what truly matters. Family, love, and respect.

The greatest comfort I have today is knowing that John is home with Mary again.

They were the example of the kind of love I always prayed for. They served one another without keeping score. They did thoughtful things simply because they knew it would make the other smile.

My favorite memory of John is every December. Christmas was Mary’s favorite season, and John made sure she knew he knew it. Beginning on December 1st, he wrapped a gift for her every single morning, with several more waiting on Christmas day. He would set them on the island counter and quietly go about his morning, waiting for Mary to excitedly come find it. He listened and paid attention so wouldn’t miss watching her open that day’s gift. He simply wanted to see her smile.

That was the John I knew. That was the example of the type of love you can give and receive.

So today, I’ll hold onto the lessons he gave me all those years ago.

Death is part of life. It is inevitable.

But love doesn’t die. His love for us will always be as our love for him will stand resolute.

John taught us how to live with integrity, how to love through actions, and how to leave people better than we found them.

Life is tough—be tougher. Life changes—adapt. Life leaves—hold onto the love.

We’ll keep holding onto yours.

Betty Lewis’ Memories of John

Good morning, I am Elizabeth Lewis AKA Betty, John and May’s Niece and I would like to share with you how much John meant to our family. Our most enduring memory will be his unwavering devotion to our aunt Mary. And how he embraced our family. He was always there for us whether it was teaching my brother cowboy ways on the ranch in Strausburg, taking my mom on RV trips to festivals across the country, like the hot air balloon festival here in Colorado and the Testicle Festival in Montana or placing bets on the Bronco/Saints football games and NASCAR Races.

John was a man of integrity and reliability and at no time was this more apparent than in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina when their house in Loveland became the base of operations. When the city reopened, John loaded up his vehicle with tools and and made the trip to assist us with the rebuilding and recovery process; this was not an easy feat, considering the extent of the devastation. The recovery process required heroic effort and our uncle was the man for the job!

John was a good storyteller and I loved to listen to him talk about his courtship with Mary, his over the road trucking adventures and his career experiences as a Denver police officer, including meeting Elvis Presley when he was on duty at one of the king’s concerts. he shared these stories during long drives and long walks. Throughout Colorado John’s job required great physical strength and stamina and he always let me work out with him during his exercise sessions. I couldn’t really keep up with him of course, so he would kindly assume the role of my personal trainer, which I always appreciated!

Of course, it took good meals to maintain John’s physical strength and I loved cooking for him and appreciated his gustatory enthusiasm! Once I baked him a chocolate cherry cake. After eating a piece, he threw his hands up in the air and exclaimed, “Betty, I thought I had died and gone to heaven!” And I know that is where he is right now, enjoying a delightful slice of chocolate cherry cake!

DPD Retiree Dan O’Hayre Memories of John

John D. Gray Tribute
August 10, 2026
I’m honored to offer a few words in tribute to John Gray, an honest, honorable
man who was a true Denver PD legend.
JD was a generation ahead, but I was fortunate enough to have worked around
him, with him, socialize with him and Mary, and also compete in intramural sports
with and against him.
But I wasn’t on the job when I first became aware of him. A month shy of my 17th
birthday, I went to a music hall to see a band perform.
It was a somewhat infamous place, The Family Dog, that attracted mostly
psychedelic rock bands. But even Chuck Berry appeared there once, and Otis
Redding was scheduled to appear there but was killed in a plane crash a couple
weeks before.
Big-name bands included The Doors, The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, Jimmie
Hendrix, and the famous band I went to see that night, Cream. Most everyone
has heard of their guitarist, a guy named Eric Clapton. Ginger Baker was
considered by many to be the best drummer on the planet.
During the show, I saw a spotlight suddenly come on and begin following an
individual walking through the crowd. All the hippies panicked and began
warning everyone “that’s Gray…Gray and Laurita are here…if you’re holding
they’ll bust you!”
I was not a long-hair or hippie wannabe, and I didn’t even know what “holding”
meant. But I soon figured it out when there was a rush to the restrooms, toilets
flushed non-stop, and pills and baggies of hash and weed were hitting the floor.
I saw only the silhouette of JD from behind. I swear that image is still intact in my
mind’s hard drive. I can still see it. He was big, broad, dark haired, wearing a
black thigh-length jacket, and appeared fearless and confident despite being in
the spotlight.
The Dog received regular police monitoring resulting in frequent drug arrests by
Intelligence & Narcotics Bureau detectives John Gray, Jimmy Laurita, Dick
Scherwitz, then Sergeant Jerry Kennedy, Lieutenant Duane “Red” Borden and
others.
I later learned that a few months earlier, JD had busted a famous band, “Canned
Heat,” for drug possession, when they were in town to appear at the Family Dog.
Canned Heat went on to more fame appearing at Woodstock, but were financially
ruined by the bust. They signed away all their royalties to publishers, lawyers and
agents to make bond and pay legal fees. Their lawyer, a shady character named
Francis X Salazar, who coincidentally owned the Family Dog building, got an
injunction prohibiting police from entering The Dog without a warrant. The
allegations were standard doper defense, “the dope wasn’t mine, it was planted,
the cops lied, my rights were violated, the search was illegal, etc., etc., etc.”
The injunction backfired because concerned parents no longer allowed their
teenagers to go to the Dog, and attendance dropped off dramatically. The
corrupt lawyer, Francis X Salazar, then sold the building, and it became what is
today PT’s Show Club, 1601 West Evans Ave.
Anyone here familiar with that establishment? Anyone? Show of hands? I know
they’re out there.
The dopers and their lawyers and some in the media cast JD as a self-appointed
“Wyatt Earp of the west” on a personal crusade to remove the scourge of longhairs from the City & County of Denver. Despite the controversy, John remained
true to his oath and continued to make phenomenal drug cases, including busting
clandestine labs set up by one of the premier chemists in the country who
produced a unique, expensive form of LSD.
The next time I saw John Gray, I was playing intramural fast-pitch softball for
District Four. He was pitching for the Vice Bureau. That didn’t go well for me. I
doubt I got many hits off him during the next couple summers.
It was a relief when I was eventually transferred to Vice and got to play in the field
behind his pitching rather than having to face him at the plate.
I was in Vice and he was a Narc, so I didn’t really work any cases with him, but
knew of his work ethic and admired him.
At some point, he took a leave of absence for a corporate security job. In the
meantime, I ended up as a Sergeant in the Intelligence Bureau and saw that John
had returned to the department and was a Field Training Officer in District One.
I told my boss, Bob Cantwell, that I’d like to recruit John to fill our next detective
opening. Without hesitation he said “Hell yeah!” So it wasn’t long before I got to
work closely with John. My admiration for him grew even deeper and stronger,
and I was fortunate to have some social contact with him and Mary away from the
job.
I also learned the beauty of health-food pancakes topped with health-food peanut
butter and health-food honey. I passed that along to my kids and grandkids.
All unite in describing JD’s dogged determination, work ethic, mental, physical
and emotional toughness. I saw those qualities, but I also saw a highly intelligent
man who I will describe as a virtuous man.
Love is a virtue. Not the romantic or emotional kind, but love that involves
choosing to actively care for, sacrifice for, and promote the true well-being of
others, is a virtue.
Loyalty is also virtue. No one can dispute John’s loyalty.
John’s loyalty and love were demonstrated by serving his country in the Marines
and also as a police officer. He cared for and mentored twin nephews after their
father died. He was devoted to his entire family, friends and co-workers, and
even at great expense and effort, to the Special Olympics.
When I heard JD had passed away, I mentioned it to an 80 badge number, who
replied in disbelief “Oh, no…you mean Iron Man?”
Yes. Iron man.
So, John Duane Gray, Iron Man of the DPD, may you rest in peace and may
eternal perpetual light shine upon you.