Saresa Gray: A Life in Words

Saresa Gray By Alita H. Singh, once a young journalist who survived Gray’s red pen PHILIPSBURG--Almost silently, a week ago, a chapter in the island’s journalism field came to a close when Saresa Gray, the formidable head proofreader of The Daily Herald, decided to put down her now digital red pen and retire. Gray, an octogenarian who will mark her 88th birthday on January 31, never planned to spend more than 30 years shaping the language of St. Maarten’s most-read newspaper. In fact, her journey to the island began with something far more accidental: a quiz show. She was a contestant on Three on a Match, a 1970s TV game show in which contestants competed to determine who could answer the most true-or-false questions in one of three categories. “I won a free trip, a free week at Little Bay Resort,” she recalled. “I got to know some people and they suggested they could help me find work here. And I liked it. I grew up in a small tourist town in Maine, so the atmosphere felt fami