Jack Grant

Jack Grant always found the beauty and wonderment, the humor and nuance, in this life. On April 2, 2024, with his beloved wife and daughter at his side, Jack passed peacefully into the next. He was 84 years old.

Jack’s legacy of goodness and kind deeds – his insistence on doing the right thing, big or small – left such an impression on family and friends that his family believed him to be “too good for this world.”  They were right.

Sarasota, Florida, where he died, was a fitting bookend to Jack’s life because his winters there reflected another side of this brilliant man: a rare curiosity and zest for life, and the restless mind of an engineer eager to embark on new adventures and tackle new challenges. He was a man of all seasons.

John William “Jack” Grant, Jr. was born in New Jersey, on June 20, 1939. At age 13, he moved with his parents, Bill and Jane Grant, his sisters, Janet and Judy, and two dogs, to Altadena, California. He attended Eliot Junior High School in Altadena and John Muir High School in Pasadena. His hobbies included running a paper route, reading everything he could about Henry Ford, and tinkering on old cars. He would often be so covered in engine grease that his mom wouldn’t let him in the house.

Jack earned a BS in mechanical engineering from Santa Clara University, a master’s degree in engineering from Stanford University, and an MBA from the University of Michigan. His appetite for adventure blossomed as an undergrad at Santa Clara: alongside his treasured “Bronco” buddies, his experiences scuba diving and camping under the California stars only fueled his passion for exploration. 

He came of age in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, in the post-Korea and pre-Vietnam eras. The Cold War was raging and, with the draft still in effect, most men could expect to be called up to serve. Jack thought about it long and hard and, at the end of his sophomore year of college, he joined the U.S. Army through the ROTC (the Reserve Officers Training Corps) program and upon graduation was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant. 

He arrived home to Southern California to find his deployment orders waiting. He was sent to Europe and joined the 37th Transportation Command whose basic function was to move military supplies over 700 miles – from ships arriving at the ports on the east coast of France to the heart of Germany for use by the front-line troops. Despite being a young, recent college graduate, he was responsible for over 30 men, 20 trucks, jeeps, radios, rifles and, in Jack’s words, “…other expensive stuff.” 

The Army proved to be the experience of a lifetime for Jack, most importantly because Jack met his bride-to-be while stationed in Toul, France. He almost lost his chance to court the bright young teacher, Dorothy, when he was called away on military duty and didn’t show up for their date at the officers’ club dinner dance. He sent two friends to escort her instead. 

When they finally did connect, Dorothy immediately fell in love with the handsome officer, who charmed her with his wry sense of humor and gentle kindness. He could also do a mean twist. They were married one year later at St. Nicholas Church in Detroit.

Never one to put his feet up for long, Jack laid his boots to the ground again, this time back in the States where he used his substantial leadership training in the U.S. Army and his extensive education to establish a fulfilling career. During his accomplished career as a mechanical engineer, he held positions at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California, Pratt Whitney Aircraft in East Hartford, Connecticut, and, finally, Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan, where he spent 25 years before retiring.

He applied his engineering prowess to everything from the “Mars Box”-- a project to reproduce the Martian environment in a chamber – to computer modeling of aircraft infrared tail emissions and early designs of hybrid vehicles (30 years before they reached car customers). He published papers and became an expert on many things, particularly the gas turbine. He once noted, “...when I started, we used slide rules and mechanical calculators. When I finished, everyone had a computer on their desk.” 

Eventually, Jack and Dorothy settled in Plymouth, Michigan, where they raised their two daughters. He entered retirement 25 years ago with a lengthy to-do list, which included traveling the world, camping across the U.S., taking piano lessons, and learning Spanish and horseback riding. Jack never grew stale. Once he mastered something, he moved on to the next.

In the Plymouth area, he volunteered at the Yankee Air Museum and the Saint Vincent de Paul Society. At the local library, he helped people with their tax filings and sorted used books. He loved history and was extensively involved at the Plymouth Historical Museum; it was there that he served as the treasurer, volunteered in the Lincoln Room, and worked in the archives. He also reenacted several founders of Plymouth at the local Halloween ghost walk – surprising family and friends that this quiet man could be so powerfully eloquent in front of audiences.

Jack indeed traveled the world, circumnavigating the globe twice  – visiting every state in the union and nearly every continent on the planet. Still on his bucket list: Africa. According to Dorothy, Jack “…promised to show me the world – and he did.” 

For the past several years, Jack applied that same energy to his winters spent in Florida. He and Dorothy traveled up and down the state before settling in Sarasota, where he relished the new circle of friends he made on the golf course. He and Dorothy served as docents at the Mote Aquarium (where they enjoyed picnics in the same spot each week). They loved going to the opera, birdwatching (Jack indulging in amateur bird calls), and long walks in the woods. They spent hours walking on the beach, searching for (and finding) sharks’ teeth that had washed ashore. 

He treasured summers and Christmas in Madison, Connecticut, with his grandchildren. There, they shared the comics section on the screened porch, flew kites, took swims in the Long Island Sound, and made their ritual trips to the bookstore and favorite eateries for lobster rolls and ice cream. He loved long walks along Hammonasset Beach. At the water’s edge, Jack would tip his head back just slightly to breathe in the salt air, soaking it all in. This was a man who loved life.

Jack and Dorothy were looking forward to celebrating their 60th anniversary this July. He never forgot an anniversary and still brought his beloved Dorothy flowers every year on the anniversary of their first date.

Jack is survived by his wife Dorothy, daughter, Janice and her husband Kevin Brunner, both of New York City, and grandchildren Max Brunner and Ally Brunner. His first daughter Cathy, passed away on September 2, 2019. He will be buried next to her at the historic Plymouth cemetery. Jack is also survived by two sisters, Janet Easton of Brentwood, California, and Judy Kearns (Paul Kearns, husband), of La Verne, California. 

He is also survived by the many nieces and nephews who passionately loved their “Uncle Jack.” He will remain a role model for generations to come – a man who charted a big life but never lost sight of the little things he could do to help people along the way.

This man of profound faith always said he was getting ready for “the big test.”  When times were hard and didn’t make any sense, Jack would say simply, “We’ll know when we get there.” 

A funeral mass will take place Friday, April 12, 12:30 pm, at Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church, 7650 Territorial Road, Plymouth, Michigan. There will be a viewing and visitation Thursday, April 11 from 2:00 - 7:00 pm at Schraeder-Howell Funeral Home, 280 S. Main Street, Plymouth, Michigan.

As an expression of sympathy, donations in Jack’s honor may be sent to: Plymouth Historical Museum, 155 S. Main Street, Plymouth, Michigan, or online at: https://plymouthhistory.org/get-involved/support-the-plymouth-historical-museum/