Bill Gray, 1927 – 2009; Founder of Hill & Knowlton Tampa

Retired Tampa PR executive Bill Gray, or by byline G. William Gray, died on Sunday according to an obit in the Tampa Tribune.

Hill & Knowlton [a division of WPP (NASDAQ: WPPGY)] entered the Florida market by acquiring Gray’s Gray & Associates in 1982. He retired five years later, spending his time writing commentary and book reviews for the Trib, as well as a novel.

Gray recruited Harry Costello from the business desk of the Tribune, who is quoted in the obit, and is currently GM of the Tampa office. He will deliver the eulogy today.

Another Trib alum Ed Roberts recalls Gray’s diplomatic demeanor in an anecdote about a client meeting with the editorial board:

“There was a disagreement between some of us and things started getting a little bit edgy,” Roberts said. “And Bill Gray was just sitting there and when everybody shut up, he came out and said something that was just so reasonable. I thought that not only do I think that this company may have a point, but I want to get to know this Bill Gray better.”

“He would have made a great secretary of state,” Roberts said.

Costello told us that since then, H&K’s operation in Florida has expanded to Tallahassee and Miami to serve both local, state and broader accounts.

Join Baratunde Thurston (left), The Onion’s Director of Digital and author of How to Be Black, for an entertaining look at creative social media campaigns in our Social Media Marketing Boot Camp starting this Thursday, February 16. Other speakers include Morin Oluwole (Facebook), Michael Brito (Edelman Digital), and Tim Devane (bitly). Register now.