Alan, the son of John and Daisy Grey, was born May 5, 1926, in Wheatland, Wyoming, and passed away at Turtle and Crane on Feb. 5, 2017.

He was raised on a cattle ranch, located about 16 miles from town, and attended a one-room country school through the fourth grade. In 1935, his parents sold out and moved to Fruitland, Idaho, where they rented and ran a 20-acre prune orchard. In 1940 when his brother enrolled at the University of Idaho, his family moved to Moscow, where they lived on the university campus.

Alan graduated from Moscow High School in 1943 and that fall enrolled at the university. In November 1943, he was sworn into the Navy who sent him to Colorado College and then to the University of New Mexico, where he received his commission and an ensign. He was then sent to the Pacific as a communication officer aboard a LST. He was discharged from the Navy in June 1947 as a lieutenant (jg).

Alan returned to the University of Idaho, where he majored in chemistry. In June 1948, he married Lois Anderson, a young lady he had met in high school. In June 1949, he received his Bachelor of Science in chemistry. In September of that year, their first son, Dennis, was born. In the Spring of 1950, he received his Master of Science in organic chemistry. That fall, he started at Washington State University in their PhD program in bio-organic chemistry. In the spring of 1952, he was offered a job with Shell Chemical Company as a PhD chemist and the family was moved to Martinez, California. In 1953, a son, Ronald, was born, and in 1954, a daughter joined the family.

In 1955, Alan was transferred to the Shell Chemical Research Lab in Houston, Texas. Two years later, there was another transfer to Shell's newly purchased synthetic rubber plant. Here, he was placed in charge of their monomer laboratory. In 1970, he was offered and refused a transfer to the Shell Corporate Office in New York City.

For the next few years, they bought, refurbished and sold apartment complexes. In 1977, Alan returned to chemistry and accepted a job at the Idaho National Laboratory. He retired in 1992. Since his retirement, he has pursued a second interest in Western history and has published three books, "The Life of Chief Sitting Bull," "The Life of Chief Joseph" and "The Life of Kit Carson."

Alan is preceded in death by his son, Ronald, in Los Angeles; his parents, John and Daisy Grey, in Payette; his brother, Donald, in San Diego; and his wife, Lois, in 2013.

He is survived by his son, Dennis, and daughter-in-law, Dev; a daughter, Judith; and the two grandchildren, Colin and Morgan Grey.

Arrangements under the direction of Buck-Miller-Hann Funeral Home.



Published in Post Register Feb. 7, 2017