Thomas L. Gray, Jr., age 73 years, died Tuesday, May 1, 2018 at his home in Hopewell Township NJ.
Born January 16, 1945 in the Vailsburg Section of Newark NJ, Tom was the son of the late Thomas L. and Nancy (Carucci) Gray, Sr. He attended high school at Seton Hall Prep in West Orange NJ and later graduated from Seton Hall University in 1966 with a BS Degree in English and in 1973 with an MBA in Finance.
Tom served in the United States Army Reserves during the Vietnam War as a Medic in the #322 General Hospital in Newark.
Tom will be best remembered with his storied career in banking. In 1966, he joined the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) in New York as a National Bank Examiner. At the age of 27, Tom became the President and CEO of Peoples National Bank of North Jersey in Denville NJ, a position he held for more than ten years. In 1983, he was hired as the President and CEO of Lafayette Bank & Trust Company in Bridgeport CT where he successfully turned around that once financially troubled institution.
As the end of his tenure at Lafayette Bank approached, Tom began the process (with other local NJ executives) to form a new bank in 1987, Carnegie Bank NA, headquartered in Princeton NJ. As President and CEO, Carnegie Bank was one of the fastest growing banks in the US and eventually was sold in 1998. Upon the sale of Carnegie Bank in 1998, Tom helped to form Grand Bank NA in Hamilton NJ, where he served as Chairman of the Board, as well as President and Chief Executive Officer, positions he currently held.
Tom was a member of the Board of Directors for other banks including, Admiralty Bank (Palm Beach FL), First Bancap (Allentown PA), Sunrise Bank (Cocoa Beach FL), and Paradise Bank (Boca Raton FL). He was also a member of the Board of Directors of VIIAD, Inc. (Newtown PA).
Tom also served his professional community as a member of the Community Bank Council of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, the American Bankers Association, New Jersey Bankers Association, South Jersey Bankers Association, Community Bankers Association, Bank Marketing Association, Confrèrie de la Chaine des Rôtisseurs, the Florida Brotherhood of the Knights of Columbus of the Vine, as well as the NJ State and Regional Chambers of Commerce and the World Presidents’ Organization.
In 1997, Tom was a finalist for the NJ Entrepreneur of Year, a Board member of the American Heart Association, the Greater Trenton Community Mental Health Center, Junior Achievement, the NJ EDA Entrepreneurial Training Institute, the Princeton Scholarship Fund, Rotary International, St. Clare’s Hospital Development Board, St. Vincent Hospital, Trenton Area Soup Kitchen and the Young Presidents’ Association.
As a friend and colleague, Tom was unique. His passions included automobile restorations (especially those from the late 50’s and 60’s), playing a good game of golf, sailing the seas, or snow skiing with his many friends. He completed the New York City Marathon in 1985, something he was proud of accomplishing. However, his joys were truly spending time with his son, Mark, and the many treasured moments with his partner of more than 25 years, Karen Cinkay. Together, Tom and Karen travelled the world, loved a good dinner party with friends, or taking in a Broadway show.
In addition to his parents, Tom was predeceased by his sister, Kathy Wade. He is survived by his son, Mark Everton Gray, his partner, Karen Cinkay, as well as several cousins, nieces, nephews, and many friends.
A Celebration of Life to honor Tom will be at 12:00 pm, Sunday, June 3, 2018 at the Trenton Country Club (TCC), 201 Sullivan Way, West Trenton NJ 08628. Friends may gather beginning at 11:00 until the time of service at TCC. Please join with Mark and Karen immediately after the service for food and fellowship at TCC.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Tom’s name may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis TN 38105 or to the American Cancer Society, 7 Ridgedale Avenue, Suite 103, Cedar Knolls, NJ 07927.
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Holcombe-Fisher Funeral Home, 147 Main Street, Flemington NJ.
For further information or to leave on online condolence, please visit www.holcombefisher.com.
