SYLACAUGA — Thousands of families have entrusted the care of their children to pediatrician Dr. Robert (Bob) M. Gray for 46 years.The Sylacauga City Schools Foundation honored Gray with its 39th chair presentation Tuesday afternoon in the lobby of the Coosa Valley Ambulatory Care Center.
An education chair signifies a $25,000 donation to the foundation. In Dr. Gray’s case, the $25,000 was a cumulative donation from many individuals in his honor.
Jerry Fielding, chairman of the foundation, said the foundation was started in 1988 by Dr. Joe Morton, former city schools superintendent, and today state schools superintendent.
Fielding said the foundation formation was an effort to provide excellence in education to Sylacauga school children.
“We started with zero dollars in 1988, and today the foundation has $1,223,000. That money is there because of the good people of Sylacauga and surrounding areas. It ensures each child will experience excellence in education,” Fielding said.
The foundation chairman recognized Dr. Jane Cobia, Sylacauga city schools superintendent for her service with the system.
The foundation only spends the income from the principal of the $1.2 million. Each year the foundation presents grants to teachers from the principal. So far, the foundation has given $667,000 in grants that go to the classrooms.
In the spring, the foundation gave a record $70,000 in grants for programs in city schools.
Morton addressed those present, recognizing Gray for his efforts in the community.
“Bob Gray has children in two ways — his own inside his immediate family and his own in the remainder of the world. He, perhaps in his own unique way, helped shepherd and raise a family of thousands upon thousands of children — our own two included,” the state schools superintendent said.
Gray, a graduate of Birmingham Southern College, received his medical degree from the Medical College of Alabama in 1958. He then completed his internship and residency at Lloyd Nolan Hospital, where he served as chief resident.
In 1962, Gray began practicing at Craddock Health Center in Sylacauga before opening his own practice, Sylacauga Pediatrics in 1978 where he continues practice today.
He is involved in several professional organizations, including the Alabama Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Medical Association and Southern Medical Association, and serves as past chairman of the Alabama Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics Nominating Committee.
Locally, he is involved with the Talladega County Medical Society, where he is a past president, and the Coosa Valley Medical Center (past chief of staff).
Gray’s service to the community includes the Board of Directors of the Arc and UAB Department of Family Medicine’s Outstanding Preceptor for the past four years.
In 2002, he was presented with Children’s Hospital’s Master Pediatrician Award, and in 2004, he was named one of Alabama’s first Health Care Heroes.
Grandfather of five, Gray has three sons, David, Robert Jr. and James. He enjoys spending time with his family as well as fishing, painting and wine-making.
Morton said there is nothing quite as helpless as an ill infant or young child. Unlike patients of other physicians, they can’t tell you their symptoms, their ailments, even ‘where it hurts.’
“They, and their parents, are completely entrusted to the physician’s care. That is what sets Dr. Bob Gray apart from so many. His unique ability to investigate the cause of childhood ailments and diseases and to prescribe the right treatment has calmed the fears and settled the nerves of young parents and cured the illnesses of young children for decades in Sylacauga. He actually instilled in parents Proverbs 17:22 – ‘A merry heart doeth like a medicine.’ He could take what appeared to parents as dire circumstances for their child, heal the child, and send everyone away with an uplifted and merry heart. What great medicine,” Morton said.
In closing, Morton said Gray is the epitome of the following anonymous ancient saying: “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to everyone you can.”
Morton concluded by saying, “Dr. Bob Gray has done that, and for that the citizens of Sylacauga, Talladega and neighboring counties, and parents and children everywhere, have established this chair to the Sylacauga City Schools Foundation in his honor.”
Gray said he had a two-hour speech ready, but got laryngitis.
“What makes this great is treating children for all these years, and that parents trusted me with their children’s lives. This is a special honor and the greatest a person in Sylacauga could have,” he said.
Fielding said the community and area thanked Gray for “taking care of our children for nearly 46 years.”
