For the fourth successive year, Bridgewater Savings Bank served as the Grand Sponsor for the Rotary Club of the Bridgewaters’ Citizen of the Year program, this year honoring: Calvin & Francis Gray of West Bridgewater at a ceremony last week at the Center at Sachem Rock in East Bridgewater.
Speaking on behalf of the bank, Senior Vice President Joseph W. Mitchell, Jr., said: “The importance to the community of recognizing individuals who make significant contributions to the quality of life in the Bridgewaters.”
Calvin and Frances Gray’s biography reads: “Decades ago, Cal’s family owned a store on Blue Hill Avenue. Cal worked there, and Frances’ mom shopped there, with Frances in tow, especially on Saturdays. Decades later, a relationship that sparked in a food store continues to bear fruit in service to a Food Pantry serving up to 100 families in West Bridgewater.
The two were married nearly 53 years ago. Cal graduated Boston Tech high school and attended Boston University briefly. He spent his career in design and construction management for large projects in food service, health care, and other areas. Frances graduated from the Burdett Business School, retiring not so long ago from the office staff of a medical practice group.
Cal turned his effort to establishing the Food Pantry as a 501c3. In doing so he laid the groundwork for a big step, that of affiliating with the Greater Boston Food Bank. This helps to bring a reliable source of fresh dairy, meat, produce and bread products to the West Bridgewater Food Pantry. The logistics of transporting food from Boston twice a month are challenging and the pair talked about ways to accomplish that.
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Rotary Citizen of the Year Presentation, Courtesy of WBTV | ![]() |