Introduction
Loren Zane Grey (15 November 1915— 2 February 2007) was an American educational psychologist, novelist, and author of several books. He was the youngest son of famous Western author Zane Grey.
Life, education, career
Grey was born on November 15, 1915, in Middletown, New York, to Zane Grey and his wife Lisa Elise Roth Grey. He had two elder siblings: brother Romer Zane Grey (1 October 1909—8 March 1976), also a writer, and sister Elizabeth "Betty" Zane Grey Grosso (22 April 1912—6 January 2007).
An avid deep-sea fisherman, he spent his earlier years traveling and fishing with his father.
After his family relocated to California, Grey studied English at Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California. During the Second World War, he left school to serve in the United States Navy, returning afterward to obtain a master's and doctoral degree in educational psychology. He was in Hawaii during the attack on Pearl Harbor but was in the hospital recovering from the mumps.
Grey wrote several novels in the Lassiter series:
- Lassiter (1985)
- Ambush for Lassiter (1985)
- Lassiter Gold (1986)
- Lassiter Tough (1986)
- The Lassiter Luck (1986)
- A Grave for Lassiter (1987)
- Lassiter's Ride (1988)
- Lassiter on the Texas Trail (1988)
- Lassiter and the Great Horse Race (1989)
- Lassiter and the Golden Dragon (1989)
- Lassiter's Showdown (1990)
- Lassiter in the Comanche Stronghold (1990)
He was also a longtime professor of Educational Psychology at California State University in Northridge, where he taught for nearly 30 years. His teaching focused on the relationship between the teacher, the child, and the parent. He wrote many articles and books on the subject, including Discipline without Fear: Child Training During the Early School Years (1974). In the book, he offers practical advice to guide parents in dealing with problems that arise with children between the ages of five and twelve.
Personal life
Gray married Marcella Robinson in 1945. After the divorce, he married Bonnie Jean (13 Oct 1932—31 Dec 2001).
According to his 1986 profile in Los Angeles Times, Grey had a love-hate relationship with his father. He "hated his father... for his looks, for his charm and for his talent," but not being resentful of his influential pedigree, he attempted to leave his father's shadow through an act of literary homage to him. He also helped maintain his father's legacy and served as president of Zane Grey, Inc. for several years. He also ghostwrote a series of Western novels himself.
Death
Grey died on February 2, 2007, in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 91.