Mildred Malissie (Carroll) Gray

Mildred Malissie Gray, 91, of Gainesville, VA, passed February 12, 2026

Mildred was born on January 16, 1935, to the late Viola Juanita Johnson Carroll and Henry Carroll in Enfield, NC. She was the third of six children. She graduated from Eastman High School in Enfield and attended Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte NC where she pledged the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She also attended DC Teachers College of Washington, DC where she met, fell in love, and married Edward (Eddie) Eugene Gray and from that union one daughter Edwardina (Millie) (DeeDe) was born.

Mildred and Eddie moved to Potomac, MD in 1972 and she was employed by Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company where she received numerous promotions during her 28 years of service with them. Mildred and Eddie attended St. Paul United Methodist Church of Kensington, MD where they were active members. By the time she retired in 1990, the Baby Bells had split and a new company was born, the Bell Atlantic Information Systems. Mildred was very active in volunteer work and had many close friends and coworkers even after retirement from Bell Atlantic. Mildred and Eddie relocated from Potomac, MD in 1990 to Sanford, NC to be closer to her only sister and to help care for their ailing father Henry since her mother, Viola passed away suddenly three years earlier. They stayed in Sanford for the next 11 years where Mildred again started a new career with the Lee County School System as administrative assistant to the Assistant Superintendent of Schools.

In April 2001, Mildred and Eddie moved to Lutz, FL where she again started a new career this time in the banking business with J.P. Morgan Chase where she worked until she had to retire to take care of her ailing husband until his death, September 25, 2012. Mildred became a member of the Community United Methodist Church of DeBary, FL in 2009 where she remained active.

Mildred was an avid sports fan and kept abreast with football (Washington Commanders – then the “Redskins”), Tampa Bay Rays baseball Tampa Bay Buccaneers football and the Orlando Magic, basketball team and would communicate with her surviving siblings every day. Family was very important to her and she truly loved people. Her granddaughter Karil Ella Smith was her buddy and love of her life.

In addition to her daughter Edwardina Smith she is survived by her son-in-law David Smith granddaughter Kari and her husband Angelo, two brothers, Henry Carroll and his wife Elaine and Wayne Carroll and step-granddaughter Kimberly, her church family in DeBary, FL and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, February 28, 2026, 11 am, at Antioch Baptist Church, 6531 Little Ox Road, Fairfax Station, VA, 22039.  

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