Evelyn Doris Grayson was born in Houston, Texas on September 10th, 1945 to Whitt Hampton and Nettie Baul. She entered the world with her twin sister Mable and the two were instant best friends.
She attended George Washington Carver High School, where she was a part of the women’s basketball team, though an injury to the face cut her participation short. She attended Taylor Barber College and worked as a barber for one and a half years. She truly had a love for learning and had aspirations of attending law school.
Evelyn moved to California, joining her sister Shirley, excited about new opportunities on the west coast. It was there that she met Edward “Eddie” Grayson, an accomplished Navy man and after 3 months of courtship, they were married on December 28, 1968 in San Francisco, California. They initially settled in Hayward, CA but created homes throughout the west coast, including Oakland, Denver and Vallejo where they lived for over 30 years. Their home was a fixture in the community for social events and was filled with love and laughter. When asked what she was most proud of in her life, she simply stated “my marriage to Eddie” and “my home.”
She was a cherished employee at the Chevron Oil Company for 25 years, where she worked as an assistant in the accounting department. A work injury led to an early retirement but Evelyn never slowed down. She took cruise trips with her husband all over the world and loved traveling with her twin Mable and friend Candy. Her favorite vacation was to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico with her twin. She was a proud dog mom to a basset hound Shorty, pit bull Bruno, and chihuahua Merlot. She was a beloved San Francisco 49ers fan, was known by multiple players and held season tickets for many years. She served as treasurer of the Kitty Card Club and always maintained a competitive hand in Bid Whist.
Evelyn and Eddie moved to San Tan Valley, Arizona in 2017 and found friendship and love in their community. Evelyn was known for her generosity, intellect, grace, impeccable style and class. She moved about with a royal aura and her ensembles rivaled the most famous fashionistas. You could find her socializing and dancing at the local clubhouse, sipping red wine, snacking on cheese and crackers, traveling with her friends, shopping for interior decor and clothing with her dear friend Suzann or taking early morning walks with her beloved Merlot. No matter how large the crowd, you could always spot her with her signature red lipstick.
In quieter moments, she talked about God’s sustaining strength and found peace and comfort in prayer, devotionals and her favorite song “When I Rose This Morning,” by the Mississippi Mass Choir. In her last moments, she raised her hands to the Lord and He welcomed her home.
She is survived by her brothers Sidney Green, Kenneth Green, Donald Davis, her sister, Shirley Williams and numerous nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her husband, Eddie Grayson, sisters, Annie Foy, Vivian Gamble, Maxine Hammonds, Susie Scott, Iristine Griggs and Mable Blanche; and brother, Thomas Davis.
The family of Evelyn Grayson greatly appreciate the love and support shown to our family. We are grateful for the services of Hospice of the Valley and the Palliative Care Team at Banner Ironwood Medical Center.
The family requests that those who wish to express sympathy to consider making a donation to the American Cancer Society (https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__donate.cancer.org&d=DwIFaQ&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=2dKR_SJLkgsDRZLuOxXdgvCbSD0dCBZDO6ZAorg6HqU&m=nOq1lMFPTxYpRXf87KAnIp5-a-qu8HCotaIfHIhxCY0H-lqUg8bpYamIrUeBj2S2&s=FiBKz7Yeu0bi3F-Qw3TXRTNMAltVfyVfxvGzvUQe39s&e=) in honor of Evelyn Grayson.