Family and friends of Tom Gray gather in Vermont this weekend for memorial

This weekend, a memorial service will be held to remember a much-beloved man here at the American Wind Energy Association and in his home state of Vermont: Tom Gray, wind pioneer, early Executive Director of our association, and later our Communications Director and editor of this blog.

Tom passed away in August after a fall where he lived in Norwich, Vermont. An earlier “memorial party” took place in September at the Montshire Museum, in Norwich, Vermont.

Gray honored with “Renewable Energy Champion Award”

This month he was recognized posthumously with the “Renewable Energy Champion Award” at the 17th Annual Renewable Energy Vermont Conference & Expo, REV2017. Over 500 attendees from across New England and Quebec heard of how Tom earned the award for representing and “tirelessly championing” the benefits of renewable energy to the state.

“Tom’s work isn’t done, so that means it is left to us,” his wife and fellow wind promoter Linda Gray told the audience after accepting the award on his behalf. “Please keep working, please keep planning, please keep advocating for clean energy and climate action,” she said in an emotional close to the award ceremony.

Celebrating Tom’s life at a wind farm

Family, friends, and admirers will gather to celebrate Tom’s life this Sunday, Oct. 22 at 1 p.m. at Georgia Mountain Community Wind, a wind project which straddles the towns of Georgia and Milton, Vermont. There Linda will scatter some of Tom’s ashes in accordance with his wishes. Email here to RSVP for the service.

We will always remember Tom’s passion and dedication to wind energy, his many contributions to AWEA, and the sheer enjoyment of working with him.

You can find a collection of tributes from Tom Gray’s friends and colleagues here, with even more tributes found here.