Danièle and Bill Gray-Beaune
We have lost one of the founders of the seminary in Aix. Danièle Beaune-Gray went home to her heavenly rest August 20th. She had been a believer “une protestante évangélique” since the 1960s and was integrally involved with the founding of Jean Calvin. She sat on the board and also attended faculty meetings.
Danièle’s career was impressive. She was a student of the Russian language and the history of Russia. She travelled several times to the Soviet Union under Brezhnev and then Gorbachev. She lived in St Petersburg for 11 months. She took in dissidents, persecuted for refusing communist ideology. She earned the difficult agrégation and the doctorat troisième cycle. She taught for years at the University of Provence, right across the way from Jean Calvin. She became the Cultural Adjunct at the French embassy in Moscow (1988-1991).
She wrote extensively on emigrants to Paris both in the years preceding and following the revolution of 1917. One of her bestsellers is a documentary on I. M. Grevs, the well-known historian.
Danièle was married late in life to Michel Montaigne specialist William Gray. They lived in the foothills of the beautiful Montagne Sainte Victoire. Our hearts go out to Bill Gray.
Barbara and I have fond memories of Danièle. She greeted me warmly before I was fully employed at Aix. That gave her the chance to “break me in” and prepare me for the job. We had many meals together. I remember her wise remarks at the faculty meetings. She represented la vieille France the traditional France with its resistance to foreign influences. Her command of the language was marvelous, even by French standards. Her wisdom even more so. She will be missed. À toi la gloire for this unique sister.
William Edgar
Professeur Associé
Faculté Jean Calvin