--- title: HR 1710. Gray, William Anthony; honoring the life and memory; condolences collection: bills id: 2025-2026/hr1710 cite_as: HR 1710, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1710 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1710.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1710/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74126 date: 2026-03-16 status: passed corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1709.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1711.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 134 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1710.md?full=1 bill_number: HR 1710 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: House bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-03-16 last_action: House Read and Adopted sponsors: - Dewey McClain - Gabe Okoye - Al Williams - Arlene Beckles - Billy Mitchell text_version: Introduced has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HR1710/2025 upstream_id: 2134491 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - memorial resolution - Georgia House of Representatives - Atlanta Jamaican community --- # HR 1710. Gray, William Anthony; honoring the life and memory; condolences ## Text House Resolution 1710 By: Representatives McClain of the 109th, Okoye of the 102nd, Williams of the 168th, Beckles of the 96th, and Mitchell of the 88th A RESOLUTION Honoring the life and memory of William Anthony Gray; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the State of Georgia mourns the loss of one of its most distinguished citizens with the passing of William Anthony "Tony" Gray on February 27, 2026; and WHEREAS, Tony was born on June 2, 1949, in Montego Bay, Jamaica, a beloved son of Louis and Essie Gray; and WHEREAS, Tony was a selfless contributor to the Jamaican Diaspora community and was recognized for his many acts of kindness and support to the less fortunate in Atlanta and Jamaica; and WHEREAS, he was a member of the Atlanta Jamaican Association for 20 years, during which he served in a many leadership roles including President, Vice President, trustee and committee chairperson; and WHEREAS, he was united in love and marriage to his wife, Doreen, and was blessed with one remarkable daughter, Tiffany, as well as a wonderful grandson, Enzo; and WHEREAS, he gave inspiration to many through his high ideals, morals, and deep concern for his fellow citizens, and the devotion, patience, and understanding he demonstrated to his family and friends were admired by others; and WHEREAS, he was a person of magnanimous strengths with an unimpeachable reputation for integrity, intelligence, fairness, and kindness, and by the example he made of his life, he made this world a better place in which to live; and WHEREAS, a compassionate and generous man, Tony will long be remembered for his love of family, friendship, and community and will be missed by all who had the great fortune of knowing him. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body join in honoring the life and memory of William Anthony Gray and express their deepest and most sincere regret at his passing. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to the family of William Anthony Gray. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia House resolution honors the life of William Anthony Gray, an Atlanta-area community leader who died on February 27, 2026, and directs a copy be sent to his family. ### Plain-language summary This resolution is a ceremonial measure passed by the Georgia House of Representatives. It does not change any law. Instead, it formally recognizes William Anthony "Tony" Gray, who was born in Montego Bay, Jamaica in 1949 and passed away on February 27, 2026. The resolution recounts his 20 years of leadership with the Atlanta Jamaican Association, including serving as president and vice president, and his contributions to the Jamaican diaspora community in Atlanta and Jamaica. It expresses the House's condolences to his family, including his wife Doreen, daughter Tiffany, and grandson Enzo. The Clerk of the House is directed to prepare a copy of the resolution for distribution to the family. ### What it does - Formally honors the life and memory of William Anthony Gray, who died on February 27, 2026. - Expresses the House of Representatives' regret and condolences over his passing. - Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to prepare and distribute a copy of the resolution to Gray's family. ### Who it affects The resolution directly names William Anthony Gray's family, including his wife Doreen, daughter Tiffany, and grandson Enzo, as well as the Atlanta Jamaican Association and the Clerk of the House of Representatives, who must distribute a copy to the family. ### Why it matters This is a symbolic tribute rather than a policy change. Its practical effect is limited to the House officially recording its condolences and ensuring the Clerk sends a formal copy of the resolution to Gray's family as a keepsake honoring his community service. ### Key provisions - The resolution's whereas clauses recount Gray's birth in Montego Bay, Jamaica in 1949 and his death on February 27, 2026. - It describes his 20 years of leadership roles with the Atlanta Jamaican Association, including President and Vice President. - The resolving clause has the House join in honoring his life and expressing regret at his passing. - A further resolving clause directs the Clerk of the House to make a copy available for distribution to his family. ## Status - Status: Passed (2026-03-16) - Last action: House Read and Adopted (2026-03-16) - Sponsors: Dewey McClain, Gabe Okoye, Al Williams, Arlene Beckles, Billy Mitchell - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74126 > The history, votes, and amendments (134 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hr1710.md?full=1