The many shades of Gray

Danette Goulet

Separately Donny Gray is a dedicated lifeguard and a wonderful

teacher. But when his two lives come together -- it’s just remarkable. So

much so that the Huntington Beach resident was named seasonal lifeguard

of the year in Newport Beach last week.

“We don’t have to look over his shoulder, he’s just out there doing

his duties to the best of his ability, but also training others out there

to do their job to the best of their ability,” said fire Captain John

Blauer who heads Newport Beach’s lifeguard division.

Though he is a sixth-grade physical education teacher at Sowers Middle

School, Gray still hasn’t given up his first job from high school. During

his junior year his father, Don Gray Sr., a firefighter in Newport Beach,

suggested he take a job as a lifeguard.

“My Dad suggested I do it in the summer, because it was really good

money and besides I’d get to be at the beach all day,” Gray said.

He took his dad’s advice and hasn’t looked back. After 16 years Gray’s

voice fills with excited energy when he talks about his job as a

lifeguard.

“Do you know what I do,” he asked. “I drive the lifeguard boats -- the

big yellow ones. I’ve been doing that for 13 summers. That is an

extremely exciting position because those boats are big and get to drive

in waves in the surf line.”

But he said it’s more than getting paid to hang out at the beach.

“Some people like the medical assists, I like to rescue people who are

drowning, and on the boat I’m right there,” he said.

In the past year the 32-year-old has taken on more responsibilities.

As he does with his students at Sowers and the athletes from the teams

he coaches, Gray took the younger guards under his wing and began

teaching them how to drive the boat.

“As I grew older, I believe this is why they gave me the award, I’ve

done a lot of training of future boat operators,” Gray said. “It’s a

little outside my job description.”

Gray does it without being asked, Blauer said, and he trains the young

guards to the same superior level that Gray himself operates.

“It’s probably the best decision I ever made in my life,” he said.

“I’ve been doing it for 16 years, I’m with all my best friends and it’s

some of the best times I’ve ever had.”

* DANETTE GOULET is the assistant city editor. She can be reached at

(714) 965-7170 or by e-mail at o7 danette.goulet@latimes.comf7 .