Sophia Gregory

Sophia Gregory, 95, of Beavercreek, Ohio, died Friday, April 10, 2015. She was born July 29, 1919 in Fredericktown, Pa., the eighth child of 14. At age 17, she graduated from high school and moved to Detroit, Michigan to be a nanny to her sister Mary's three children. Here she began a successful retail career spanning her entire adult life; met and married Walter Gregory, and raised three children.

After living 48 years in Detroit, the couple relocated in 1980 to Dayton to be closer to their adult daughters. Sophia was an outstanding mother and loving grandmother. She was raised Russian Orthodox and became a Baptist after marriage. She lived a fully Christian life and was a loving, giving person. In her later years, she volunteered at the Beavercreek Senior Center where she received in 2011, the "Outstanding Volunteer of the Year" award. She was very active in her senior living environment at Fairwood Village in Beavercreek. She loved people, games, gardening, crafts, and reading.

She was preceded in death by her husband Walter, her parents and 12 siblings.

She is survived by her son, Grover Gregory; two daughters, Helen (John) Hartmann and Alice(Raymond)Mang; sister, EvaMae Crayne; six grandchildren, Gregory Ivey, Doug Ivey, Simone Edgell, Chad Mang, Joshua Greenspan and Jennifer Anthony; and eight great grandchildren. She is also survived by many friends and extended family members.

Services will be held at Newcomer Funeral Home-Beavercreek Chapel, 3380 Dayton-Xenia Road, Beavercreek, Ohio 45432. Visitation will be Monday, April 20, 2015 from 12:30 to 1:30pm followed by a memorial service at 1:30pm. She will be buried at David Cemetery in Kettering, Ohio following the service on Monday, April 20, 2015.