AMESBURY – Ken Gray, the popular high-tech businessman-turned-mayor of this city, who died last fall, was honored last month with a display of photos at City Hall.
The photos are in the lobby wall space, which Gray dedicated as Art@Amesbury. The photos include shots of him campaigning and being inaugurated, attending one of his favorite events, the popular Carriagetown Car Show, and working out, wearing tie, on the rowing machine at the opening of the Sweatt Fix exercise studio.
One photo is of the mayor in his office meeting with a fake skeleton.
“The photos span Gray’s time serving the city and pay tribute to his dedication and commitment to Amesbury. Art@City Hall was started by Gray and the Amesbury Cultural Council in 2018 and has continued as quarterly exhibits, offering space to local artists to showcase their work,” the announcement stated.
Residents are encouraged to visit the display at City Hall during the month of December and sign a book offering their memories of the former mayor. The book will be presented to the Gray family upon the conclusion.”
Gray who died Oct. 22 at the age of 74, “was a beloved figure in his community,” the obituary read. He grew up in Reading where he met and married Donna Adams, his wife of 53 years. The couple settled in Andover, raising their four children.
Before running as mayor in 2013, Gray, a graduate in industrial engineering at Northeastern University, was an executive in several high-technology businesses, including MCT, Aseco, Delta Design (Cohu) and Northwave Technology, where he was the founder and CEO.
In 2013, he defeated four-term mayor Thatcher Kezer by a handful of votes. He was reelected in 2015 and 2017, before losing in 2019 to Kassandra Gove, the youngest and first woman mayor.
Dozens of comments from residents fill the book below the photos. Most thanked him for his service. One thanked him “for joining us at Cider Hill Farm events.”
Grey was passionate about antique cars and was a founder of the Carriagetown Car Show, a popular event that raises money for local non-profit organizations. He loved to take care of his beloved ’57 T-Bird, “Elizabeth. ”
During his tenure as mayor, the city had an excellent relationship with the state. As one of the few Republican mayors in Massachusetts, he maintained a close relationship with Republican Gov. Charlie Baker.
He also headed up the successful campaign in 2019 to pass a $60 million debt exclusion to build the Sgt. Jordan M. Shay Memorial Lower Elementary School.
As mayor, Gray championed the historic preservation and re-development of the old Horace Mann School. He directed the construction of two large solar fields on capped landfills and installed the city’s first electric vehicle chargers. ♦
