Obituary of Seymour Grey
Seymour “Glen” Grey
Somerset, NJ – Seymour “Glen” Grey, 88, passed away on January 15, 2025 at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. Born on April 6, 1936 in Muirhouse Buxton, St. Ann’s Parish, Jamaica, West Indies, Seymour, fondly known as Glen by his family and friends, was the third of seven children. His parents Adonijah and Jane (Simpson) Grey were cultivators and shopkeepers and owned multiple properties, including the local post office. They strongly valued education and pushed their children to work hard in and out of school.
After completing his studies at Dinthill Technical High School and working at the Bauxite Mining Company, Seymour moved from the hilly countryside of Jamaica to Milwaukee, WI in his early 20s to attend the University of Wisconsin. After graduation, Seymour moved to West Lafayette, IN to attend Purdue University where he graduated with a Ph.D in Organic Chemistry. During this time, he met Millie Byrd who was working toward a master’s degree from Purdue. The couple married in 1966.
After graduating in 1968, Seymour accepted a position with Colgate-Palmolive Research and Development in Piscataway. After several years doing lab work, he was promoted to a management position in the Fabric Care Department at Colgate. He was fortunate enough to travel the world for Colgate and was part of a team that issued several patents for the company. He remained at Colgate until he retired in 1998.
Seymour and Millie moved to Piscataway in 1968 where they lived for a few years before moving to Somerset, NJ. Also, in 1968, they joined Christ United Methodist Church in Piscataway and immediately began actively serving in the congregation. Over the years, Seymour served as a trustee, a treasurer for the CROP Walk, an usher, an overnight host for the FISH hospitality ministry, a volunteer with the Pumpkin Patch and he played a wiseman in the annual Christmas pageant, among other things.
Growing up in rural Jamaica, Seymour was very fond of horses and nature. This appreciation for the outdoors was reflected in how he maintained his home and tended to his backyard garden. During his retirement, he could be found in the kitchen experimenting with different cooking recipes. He was also a member of the American Chemical Society.
Predeceased by his parents, Adonijah and Jane (Simpson) Grey, Seymour leaves behind his loving and devoted family; wife Millie A. (Byrd) Grey, daughter Alicia Janine Grey; both of Somerset and son Jason Konrad Grey of New York, NY. He is also survived by his two sisters; Dorothy Ledford Miller of Boynton Beach, FL and Esmine Grey of London, England and by many nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held at Christ United Methodist Church, 485 Hoes Lane, Piscataway, NJ 08854 on Saturday, February 1, 2025 beginning at 10 a.m. Funeral services will begin in the church at 11 a.m. followed by the burial at Lake Nelson Memorial Park, also in Piscataway.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be sent in Seymour’s name to Christ United Methodist Church-Piscataway. Piscataway Funeral Home has been entrusted with the funeral arrangements and those wishing to leave online messages for the family, can do so by visiting www.PiscatawayFuneralHome.com.
The service will be livestreamed via the Christ United Methodist Church-Piscataway Youtube channel.