Bellevue resident Arva Davis Gray, one of the area’s most active leaders in Jewish causes for 58 years, died June 14, 2010 at home. She was 83.

Mrs. Gray was born to Charles and Lacy Van Wagenen Davis on July 20, 1926 in Midway, Utah. She was trained as a registered nurse at Saint Mark’s Hospital in Salt Lake City and worked in Sun Valley, Idaho, and later as an orthopedic nurse for Dr. Bernard Gray in Seattle.

She married Dr. Gray, with whom she raised two children from a previous marriage and two of their own.

She was a founder of Bellevue’s Temple B’Nai Torah. She also worked for many years as a volunteer at the Kline Galland Center to insure that the elderly had quality care and the employees had well-earned benefits. She was a past president of Kline Galland, past president of Jewish Family Service, past chair of the Women’s Division of the Jewish Federation, past chair of the Women’s Division of Israel Bonds and served as a Democratic precinct committeewoman.

She was a legendary hostess and gourmet cook, an avid golfer and gardener.

She is survived by her husband, Bernard, and their children, David (Karen); Miriam; Janet (Brad Rind); Larry (Lori); grandchildren, Berkeley (Scott Whitehead); Erika; Scott; Rachel; Rebecca; David; Charles and Miriam; and her great-grandchildren, Elliott, Amelia and Henry; brother, Kent Davis (Delores) and sister-in-law, Anne Kaback.