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Karla Gray, Montana’s First Female Chief Justice, Dies at 69

Governor praises Gray as dedicated public servant, champion for access to justice

By Tristan Scott

GREAT FALLS — Karla Gray, the first female chief justice of the Montana Supreme Court, has died of cancer. She was 69.

Gray’s husband, Myron Currie, tells the Great Falls Tribune that Gray died Sunday at St. Peter’s Hospital in Helena.

Gov. Steve Bullock ordered flags to be flown at half-staff on Tuesday in Gray’s honor. Bullock called her a dedicated public servant and a champion for access to justice. He said her work ethic, humor, humility and sense of justice have served as an inspiration for young lawyers in the state.

Gray was appointed to the Montana Supreme Court in 1991 by Gov. Stan Stephens following the resignation of Diane Barz. She was elected as an associate justice in 1992 and in 1998 and became the first woman elected chief justice in 2000. She retired in 2008.