Julian Collier GrayJulian Collier Gray, 65, of Laurel, Maryland, peacefully passed away on July 3, 2017 at his home. A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, July 12, 2017 at 12:00 p.m. at Howell Funeral Home, 10220 Guilford Road, Jessup, Maryland 20794. Visitation with the family will be at 11:00 a.m. before the memorial service. Julian, the son of Mattie Louise Rowe and Charles William Gray, was born on Monday, July 23, 1951 in the South Bronx section of New York City. He attended PS 47 in his elementary years and PS 123 for Junior High School. He attended Samuel Gompers Vocational High School in 1967 and later volunteered for the naval submarine service at the height of the Vietnam War draft. Julian was an ICFN seaman (interior communications Electrician). He was soon deployed on the U.S.S. Will Rogers submarine and served on its Gold crew. He received a letter of commendation for superior performance added to his military record before being honorably discharged in 1975. Julian and his wife, Cleante, raised their two daughters in New Paltz, NY and he spent the majority of his career at IBM in Poughkeepsie, NY. He was the founder of IBM's Summer Enrichment Program, which lasted over twelve years and enriched the lives of over a hundred young people from his former high school in the South Bronx. After thirty years with IBM, Julian retired and eventually settled in Laurel, Maryland. Julian's main interest was spending times with his family. He loved reading, traveling, laughter, music, and dancing. Julian also was a student at the Discovery Institute in New Paltz. Julian is survived by his wife, Cleante Gray; his two daughters, Yelena Johnson and Veronica Jackson; his two son-in-laws, Rick Johnson and Terrance Jackson; his grandchildren, Aneley Johnson, Amaya Johnson, Alivia Johnson, Chelsea Jackson, and Christopher Jackson; his three siblings, Roxanne Copeland, Ellwood Gray, and Claude Gray, nieces, nephews, cousins, other family members, and his former students who he came to view as his children. He was predeceased by his mother, Mattie Gray.