City of Oaks Funeral Home & Cremation
Obituary
Marilyn Algren Gray
Cary, North Carolina
Age 83.
Died 01/16/2026.
Born on August 22, 1942, in New Carlisle, Ohio, to Fred and Glenna Algren, Marilyn was the fourth of six children and grew up on a farm, where her early years were shaped by family, hard work, deep-rooted values and a quiet, enduring faith in Jesus Christ. Marilyn attended Tecumseh High School and later Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky. While at Asbury, she met the love of her life, Larry Gray. They were married in August 1963 and shared a devoted partnership that spanned more than six decades.
After graduating from college in 1964, Marilyn began her elementary teaching career in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she & Larry lived for fifteen years. Following three years of teaching, she joyfully stepped away from the classroom for eleven years to devote herself to raising their three children—Beth, Philip, and Pam.
In January 1979, the Gray family moved to Cary, North Carolina, where Marilyn resumed her teaching career and made a lasting impact on generations of students. Marilyn taught at Poe Elementary School and Farmington Woods Elementary School, but she spent the majority of her 32-year teaching career at Penny Road Elementary School, where she taught first grade and was especially known for her passion for early literacy.
Marilyn was a gifted and deeply loved teacher, admired by both students and parents. She was twice named Teacher of the Year at Penny Road Elementary School and was nominated multiple times for Wake County Teacher of the Year. Her creativity, dedication, and genuine love for children were evident in the countless hours she spent preparing lessons and grading papers, and in the thoughtful care she gave to each student. She retired in 2008, leaving behind a legacy of excellence in education.
In retirement, Marilyn fully embraced life as a wife, grandmother, and active church member. She treasured time with her ten grandchildren—whether visiting them in New Jersey, Georgia, and Cary, or reading to them when they were young. She enjoyed long walks, cherished family time, and especially loved the annual July family trips to the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
Marilyn was a follower of Jesus Christ and a devoted member of Shepherd’s Church, where she faithfully served for many years on the Wednesday Family Night meal preparation team and helped with childcare for the weekly ESL program. For thirteen years, she and Larry shared a love of adventure, traveling together throughout North Carolina and beyond on their Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
Marilyn was also known for her hospitality and her cooking. Family and friends fondly remember her homemade applesauce and her famous apple pie, as well as the many holiday meals she lovingly prepared and hosted.
Marilyn will be remembered for her unwavering love for her family, her lifelong dedication to children and education, her quiet faith, and her generous, servant-hearted spirit. She leaves behind a legacy of love, learning, and faith that will continue to shape the lives of all who knew her.
Marilyn is preceded in death by her parents Fred and Glenna Algren, her sister Wilma Blackstock and brother David Algren.
Marilyn is survived by her husband of 62 years, Larry Gray of Cary, North Carolina, who faithfully and lovingly cared for Marilyn in their home throughout her twelve-year journey with Alzheimer’s disease.
Marilyn is also survived by her children Beth Canterberry (Scott) of Stockton, New Jersey; Philip Gray (Heather) of Cary, North Carolina; and Pam Matthews (Jason) of Watkinsville, Georgia; her grandchildren Chandler Gray (Lucy) of Brooklyn, New York; Tyler Canterberry (Lauren) of Fayetteville, Georgia, and their daughter Piper; Justin Canterberry of Stockton, New Jersey; Luke Gray (Sara) of Augusta, Georgia; Brendan Canterberry (Kayley) of Jupiter, Florida; Caison Gray of Durham, North Carolina; Jordan, Sam, Josh, and Tucker Matthews of Watkinsville, Georgia.
Lastly, Marilyn is survived by her brother Dale Algren (Donna) of New Carlisle, Ohio; her sister Beverly Pitcher (Tom) of Franklin, Indiana; and her sister Rachel Hollingsworth of Colorado Springs, Colorado. She is also survived by her sister-in-law Virginia Morton and brother-in-law James Morton of Concord, North Carolina, and her sister-in-law Gladys Gray of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as well as many nieces and nephews.
A Celebration of Life service will be held on Saturday, February 14 at 11:00 a.m. in the Shepherd’s Church Parlor in Cary, North Carolina. Family and friends are warmly invited to attend. Visitation with the family will begin at 10:00 am, followed by the service. After the service, please join us from 12:00–1:00 pm. for an informal time to share memories and connect with others who loved Marilyn.
In lieu of flowers, friends are invited to make a donation to their church or favorite charity in Marilyn’s memory.
For additional information or for service details, please reach out to the family directly.
You can share this obituary using the following address, or click the button below to share on Facebook.
City of Oaks Cremation and Funeral Home is a full-service funeral home in Raleigh, serving all of North Carolina and beyond. We provide an alternative to costly funeral homes and every day we help families in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill and all over North Carolina make simple, affordable funeral arrangements.
Simply having to reach out to a funeral home can feel overwhelming. Our goal is to simplify the entire funeral home experience and make the process as easy as possible. We hope to eliminate any unnecessary surprises by publishing our total cost and the services we provide directly on our website. All of our obituaries are provided free of charge as a way to help families celebrate and commemorate the lives of their loved ones.
Our Promise
Apples to Apples
Just like all other licensed funeral homes in North Carolina, City of Oaks Cremation, LLC is regulated by the NC Board of Funeral Service.
The same laws that apply to the big corporate funeral homes also apply to the modest independently owned firms like ours. All crematories in North Carolina, regardless of who owns them, are inspected annually by the state and must adhere to the same rules and laws.
Genuine Care
We're committed to providing families within our community unsurpassed service before, during and after the time of loss.
Our staff will provide clear communication to your family through each step as we move forward from the original phone call notifying us of a death to the time we deliver the urn back to your family. We will treat your family with the utmost respect, as we honor the wishes of your loved one.
We promise to make this process affordable and as endurable as possible.
State Wide
Our Funeral Home is located in Wake County NC; however, we provide our services to families throughout the entire State.
Unlike other funeral homes, we don't charge an additional mileage fee. Regardless of what county you live in, we can help your family with making simple, affordable funeral arrangements. From Asheville to Wilmington, we're proud to help families statewide.
Our Services
$1196.75
Nobody likes surprise costs added in at the last minute. We guarantee you will not find any hidden charges here. We include everything you need for a simple or direct cremation. Simple, affordable and reliable. We have not changed the cost of our direct cremation service since we opened City of Oaks in 2012.
$2875.66
We offer the option of choosing how you receive your loved ones remains. Selecting our Direct Cremation with Solidified Remains option is a beautiful way to transform cremated remains into 40-60 “stones” that you can hold.
$1917.84
City of Oaks Funeral Home and Cremation provides an affordable cremation option with onsite visitation. Nobody likes surprise costs added in at the last minute. We guarantee you will not find any hidden charges here. Simple, affordable and reliable.
$1596.75
City of Oaks Funeral Home and Cremation provides an affordable cremation with a private family viewing. A private family viewing allows up to 10 immediate family members or friends to spend time with a loved one when a public visitation is not preferred.
$2497.50
An immediate burial has the same end result as a traditional burial; however, we have eliminated the extra (sometimes unnecessary) services prior to getting to the cemetery. Not everyone wants an open casket for viewing or a limousine for the family. Despite the term immediate, we can move as fast as you need or as slow as you like. This option simply allows you to save money by eliminating some of the fancy extras at the funeral home.
$6081.48
We offer the same traditional funeral services as the big corporately owned funeral homes in the area; however, we cost about half the amount. You might consider a traditional funeral service if your family is looking for an open casket visitation, a traditional church service or a funeral service in the funeral home's chapel. A traditional funeral service can be altered to fit the needs of your family.
$3033.75
This establishment is one of a select number of funeral homes who meet the criteria for providing green funeral service by the Green Burial Council; a tax-exempt, nonprofit organization working to encourage environmentally sustainability in the field of funeral service. Our Green options allow for a funeral to take place without the use of toxic and non-biodegradable materials/chemicals.
$2640.59
As an alternative to traditional cremation, City of Oaks Funeral Home also offers Aquamation. The Aquamation process, often referred to as alkaline hydrolysis, uses a solution of water and potassium hydroxide to facilitate natural decomposition.