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Memories
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I only had the privilege of meeting Hal a few times-- but in the few times I met him I could feel the warmth and love that emanated from him and the strong family that he helped to build. Fun times were always had by your family and we were privileged to be a part of that a few times. My deepest sympathy, Julie Smith
ReplyDeleteHal Grant was a giant of a man but even bigger in spirit than in person – Hal was magnanimous! I have a thousand wonderful memories of the Grant’s and all of them wonderful. The whole family is genuine, personable, welcoming and loving … well also lets say they also know how to have a great time and are the best hosts that any guest could have! I can only say thank you, thank you, thank you to all that you have done for our family. You are true friends and that is what Hal & Kathy stand for – friendship, honesty, hard work, good times and family values. All of you are in our prayers and we know that Hal has rounded up everyone in Haven and he has his Marine Sword over his head and everyone behind him marching in unison as he sings the Star Spangled Banner – God love you Hal and we will all miss you each and every day.
ReplyDeleteWith sincere sympathy,
Bern Bullard III
TO: GRANT FAMILY.
ReplyDeleteFR:ANNE WALKER
You can shed tears that he is gone
Or you can smile because he has lived.
You can close your eyes and pray that he'll come back
Or you can open your eyes and see all he's left.
Your heart can be empty because you cannot see him.
Or you can be full of love you shared.
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday.
Or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.
You can remember him and only that he is gone.
Or you can cherish his memory and let it live on.
You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back.
Or you can do what he'd want:
SMILE, OPEN YOUR EYES,
LOVE AND GO ON.
from anne walker it's 11:40 am busy watching the price is right with my little man
MR GRANT I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU AND I WILL CHERISH THE TIMES I SPEND WITH YOU.
A tower of a man but even bigger as a friend. After decades since going our own paths, fond memories remain.
ReplyDeleteYour "Good to the Last Drop" friend,
Bill Dyer.
Us kids were all sitting around this morning sharing memories of Daddy and his Rolodex of sayings like...
ReplyDeleteAnswering the phone during a family gathering or party with, "Hal's Bar, Louis"
Words of encouragement to any and all just before a match/game/athletic event, "AGILE! MOBILE! HOSTILE!"
Responding to stories about any of his accomplishments in his life, "I'd rather be lucky than good."
Responding to stories about any failures/injuries in his life, "Better than a sharp stick in the eye."
Marshaling the troops for any kind of home work detail, "The world is organized into two groups; the organizers and the doers. I'm the organizer. You are the doers.!"
I am looking at a picture taken 15-16 yr ago at the Grant Beach House in New Bern. Hal is in the picture enjoying all of his family and guests..We gathered around the pool bar (of course).Guests were 4-5 different families enjoying a long weekend in New Bern. We all met through our sons' friendship. Tommy's pals...who have been close knit friends for about 20 years! We were there to enjoy our friendships at Kathy & Hal's Beach House. What a warm and gracious people. Hal was generous, happy, fun, and told the best stories. The Hogue family is grateful to have shared in Hal's blessings...We have such wonderful memories and outlandish tales of our visits to his beach house. How wonderful and lucky Hal was to have watched and enjoyed his family and friends at such a beautiful setting.
ReplyDeleteWhile enjoying Katy and Joe's wedding at the beach house one year....I shall never forget what Tommy said to me...."Can you imagine how many wonderful memories my grandfather has from celebrations at this Beach House?" We know that the Hogue's loved visitng and always grateful for Kathy & Hal's generosity.
Thanks for the great times! Dana & David
From your "Guppy Friends" in Canada we have nothing but fun memories from our Beaufort weekends every 2 years. Hal, Kathy and all the crew were fun, warm, welcoming and so generous as we flowed in and through their home...eating and drinking everything in our path. The great stories told as the BBQ smoked all day was what connects generation to generation and embodied what family and friends stand for. Our tangle with hurricane Bertha where the generator was hooked up to the stereo and not the freezer would not be in any survival book but for the Guppy reunion as long as beer flowed and music played all was right in the world. We still have the Guppy T shirts and our dog sleeps on the Guppy towel but the best is the smile that comes to our face when we think of our gatherings and the Big teddy bear who lead the annual march with sword in hand and all of us goofy kids following. He will forever march in heaven and we will all "fall in" when our time comes.
ReplyDeleteTo Kathy and all the Grant kids/Grandkids our thoughts are with you, and Hal will not be forgotten...Love Always-Julie and Dave Bogart (Gonser)
Hal and Kathy, Dori and I will never forget meeting you both at a Laurel Oak newcomer social 22 years ago. That was the beginning of a long and wonderful friendship. Shortly after that meeting Hal and I started our golf careers together.I remember that we didn't always follow the rules of golf as we didn't know them. That certainly helped our scores a bit, especially when we conceded a put when we were within a club length. Some golfers used the term "within the leather", whatever that meant. Remember the time the new Laurel Oak member asked to join us on the course ? He played 9 holes, left and was never seen again on the golf course. Our Wednesdays and Fridays were lots of fun as Tom, Harry, Eric, Don, Stan and Ben joined us for 18 holes of golf. Someone named "Mulligan" helped out when needed. Lunch was entertaining, as we told stories of our superb conquests that day on the golf course and, no one disputed any of our outlandish claims. That was because we were all such true friends. Harry livened up lunch by telling joke after joke and Don entertained us by loudly proclaiming to the wait staff "I want my sandwich and nothing else on the plate". Usually a pickle showed up anyway. Those were certainly the good old days! After moving from Laurel Oak, Dori and I always looked forward to our periodic lunches together at Fishtails in Sarasota. We will never forget such a wonderful family as Kathy and Hal Grant. Hal, we will miss you very much my friend. Semper Fi
ReplyDeleteOh----Bill and Doris. Thank you so much for the blog. I am hiding out in the bedroom for a few minutes---listening to the chatter of the 2 year old and reminiscing our fun times together. I thought you would mention the time you knocked Hal down with the golf cart and ran over his leg. I knew about it only cuz he came home with tire tracks on his khaki pants. Lots of laughs and good memories....Kathy Grant
DeleteKathy, I had to run over Hal with the golf cart, otherwise he would have won the golf match and I would have had to pay for lunch. Bill
DeleteDear Hal in Heaven,
ReplyDeleteI know you have left this earthly world but I like to mention to you some of my appreciations of you which I did not declare to you.
We came in contact with you and Kathy while you were at Laurel Oak in Sarasota some where in 2004-5. Initially it was like an acquaintance but gradually it increased to a nice friendship. You were kind, soft spoken and gentle. Your personality was domineering because of your physical stature of height and build. Yet your gentleness was obvious.
And, later you incurred a sad medical problem which gradually disabled you. In spite of the difficulties, you were strong willed to continue playing our favorite contract bridge at the club. You came with crutches and wheel chair, struggling to walk in but you did. I saw you enjoyed the opportunity of playing. You loved basket ball all your life but this little game took its place for your enjoyment.
Another part of your life and character, which I did not recognize earlier, is when you moved to Riverview to be close to your daughter. I saw immense amount of love, caring and camaraderie in the family along with respect. I give you credit for bringing up these qualities in your children in spite of your strong marine culture. I visited you a few times there and observed the peace and tranquility in the home and within you including Kathy and the children. The good Lord has been kind to you.
You have left this drama or dream of this humanly world and are in good Hands. We celebrate your life with immense love and respect for caring and upbringing of your family along with other achievements in your life.
With Love and Respect.
Hari (Mona) Karna.
We have cherished our friendship with Hal and Kathy since we met them on the tennis courts at Laurel Oak in 1992. Kathy became Laverne's tennis partner and both Grants became our "special" friends. We have enjoyed playing tennis, bridge and golf together, taken several boat trips aboard the "Texastooter" and loved every visit to the "Beach House" in Beaufort, NC.
ReplyDeleteDuring our boat trips together, several stories stand out: 1) Frank accidentally locking Hal out of the head (bathroom) on the boat, which resulted in a 2:00 a.m. relief off the dock at the Vinoy Hotel in St. Pete; 2) Hal tying a rope around Frank's waist to protect him from being carried away by a rough sea as Frank dove under the boat to cut the buoy lines wrapped around the propellers; 3) Hal trying to replace a greasy bike chain on our way back to the marina after tennis, using Kathy and Laverne's sweaty wrist bands to clean the grease off his hands.
Rest in peace, dear friend, and know that we will think of you often.
With love and a big hug,
Frank and Laverne Manno
Whenever we thought of Hal, we thought about that ex-marine's sense of humor and how with all his difficulties he maintained a smile on his face. In particular I recall how Chuck McGovern pulled a practical joke on Hal when Chuck called him from Miami telling him he had been arrested and jailed for smuggling cigars from Cuba. This was Chuck’s one and only phone call the jail would permit him to make, and Hal simply had to get in touch with his attorney. I really don’t recall the details, but Hal was trying to phone a non-working number Chuck had purposely provided as his attorney’s contact info. In turn, Hal was frantic since he thought Chuck was in jail, could not be released, and Hal knew he was his only link to freedom. Chuck let the ruse go on for several hours before breaking the news. It was really very funny for all – even Hal.
ReplyDeleteAnd permit me to add that Kathy and Hal were always our very favorite neighbors, and have been sorely missed for too many years. God bless them both.
It has now been a few days since Dad has passed away and I finally am able to put some of my memories and thoughts down on paper. The first thing that comes to mind is how grateful I am to have had Hal Grant as my Dad. He taught all of us in our family so many things. He taught us by example, encouragement, love, and sometimes when needed a "swift kick in the rear end." My Dad taught us to never give up no matter how hard it was. He taught us to be honest and to treat all people with respect. He taught us that you cant win alone that you only win when you help others around you win too. He taught us that in life there is nothing more important than family. Everyday I wake up I am grateful for the values my Father and Mother taught us. There are so many examples that I could write about that really show what kind of person my Dad was but a few memories really stick out in my mind. My first memory of my Dad was when I was about 3-4 years old. I walked into his bathroom to see where he was--and there he was in full body sweats,with the shower on nearby, steam pouring out, jumping rope. Now he was not just jumping rope he was 6'6", close to 300lbs jumping rope like Sugar Ray!!! I remember standing there watching him doing the criss cross, one leg, etc seat flying everywhere. I really wasn't sure why he was doing it until I got older and realized he was trying to lose weight. A battle he fought and won many times over.
ReplyDeleteI remember being the human channel changer. I either had to change the channel to the Bears, the White Socks, or a John Wayne movie. I remember "Family Day" where every Sunday we all had to stay home and play card games, swim in the pool, and eat dinner together. We would play poker or gin rummy and I don't think he ever lost a game. Or the times we played tennis together--wow those were battles. Early on he would beat me easily but as I got older the games were more competitive. By the time I was 15 if i came to the net he would aim for my forehead!!! It wasnt until I was 22 and back from college that i finally got a set off of him and was up 4-2 in the second set when he suddenly hurt his shoulder!!!!! Those were really fun times. I can remember all of the men and women that worked for him coming over to the house and laughing and have a great time. My Father retired with something like 40 weeks of unused vacation time----I really remember that. As I started to have Children I can remember my Dad always being their for us. If we were sick, discouraged, scared, lonely, or sad he was always right there with just the right thing to say to cheer us up, to help us believe in ourselves, or make us determined to succeed. I've said this to my Dad many times.... You are my Hero love forever your loving daughter Allison
Wow! So many memories — with Hal and Kathy right in the middle. The years they lived in Laurel Oak, as did we, were whirlwinds of tennis, golf, dinner parties, New Year's parties, etc. One of my favorite night out was when the Grants, Hokamps and Johnstons dressed all in black like mafisosa (iincluding dark glasses), put fake bullet holes on a limo, and went to dinner. (I put the link to that story on this entry). Ken and I also loved our 11-day cruise with L.O. friends — again with Hal and Kathy — playing paddle tennis, touring the Alaskan cities, and eating ourselves to stuffsville. Here's to Hal: always a good friend, always positive and happy, always in our hearts. Love, Ken and Shannon
ReplyDeleteJudy Dyer
ReplyDeleteI have so many special memories of Hal and the entire Grant family, it is hard to know where to begin and which ones to share. One event comes to mind….It was 1965 and we were living in CT. Hal and my previous husband, Bill were working at General Foods. Each family only had one car, so Bill and Hal carpooled to work in one of the cars. I got the bright idea that I would purchase a second car for my family. I found a VW bug that I purchased for $175, so you can imagine the condition of this used car. Imagine this picture, Hal climbing into the VW Bug with Bill driving, her told Kathy that he could see the highway through holes in the floorboard. What good sports they were to drive to work together and leave us the better family cars.
Over the years so man special times spent together at the “Beach House.” The door was always open and this brings to mind one of the many dogs that Hal loved. I think his favorite was Trooper. I can still see Hal outside putting Trooper through his routine jumping over the agility course and Trooper waiting for his piece of cheese.
I cannot forget the most unusual house that Hal and Kathy lived in – The Halfway House. They lived in this house while their house in Riverview was being built. Hal could not fit into the small stall shower and there was some very suspicious stuff that looked like mold in the bathroom. The house was also used to store their furniture and I was lucky enough to spend a couple of nights with them in this very unusual house.
One more memory comes to mind. It was a cruise up the east coast. Kathy called me and said I should join them on a cruise, “Potters for Parkinson”, a group of families with a member who suffered from Parkinson’s were leaving from Beaufort, NC in a bus to drive to Norfolk, VA to get on the cruise ship. Kathy said “how bad can it be, if nothing else, the food will be good.” Wrong, the food was not good, but Hal never complained as usual. He always made the best of everything. I can still remember him all dressed up in his tux for dinner, looking very handsome.
From the time Hal was told he had Parkinson’s I never heard him say, I can’t do this and I can’t do that…he would just work harder with his exercises to keep up his strength. Always upbeat!
Over the years, many times, I asked Hal for advice, and his advice was always good and right on the money! Hal was truly the “Patriarch” of the Grant Family. He was the rock and he will be sorely missed by friends and family. Please know that my thoughts and prayers are with every one of you, from Charles to Kathy and all of you in between…
Love, Grandma Judy
Lisa Wright
ReplyDeleteMr. Grant was a big, kind, warm teddy bear. So many memories of him on the lesson tee. He did not fear anything but a little, white golf ball. For fun we use to put a smiley face on the range balls to help ease the anxiety. He is now in a better place and hitting it 300 yards!!! My thoughts are with Mrs. Grant and their family.
Hal was a wonderful person and whenever I think of Laurel Oak Hal and Kathy come to mind. We had fun times together.
ReplyDeleteAll of you are in my thoughts and prayers
Monica Schuck Gibson
Dear Kathy and family, Our memories of Hal wre that he was a BIG sports fan. We met on the tennis court at Morehead City Country Club and Hal amazed us with his ability to play tennis ambidextrously and do it very well. He also worked hard on his golf game, not being happy playing right handed switching to the left hand and continued to be unhappy as we all are from time to time.
ReplyDeleteWe have valued our friendship with such a wonderful couple and family and Hal will be in our memories forever.
You are all in our thoughts and prayers, Sharon & Tony
I always will think of Big Hal as larger than life. He had a commanding presence that let you know he was in the house! I have to admit that I was intimidated by him at times but he was nothing less than kind and generous to me.
ReplyDeleteI have 3 distinct visual memories of Big Hal. Once, the look on his face when Allison was being exasperating (again) at the MacGregor Downs house. The next, the love and pride on his face when Kathy and Allison got married. Lastly, the joy in his face when everyone was gathered to celebrate Allison's 50th.
I look forward to sharing additional memories with you in April. Both Glenn and I will attend the Celebration for Big Hal.
Stephanie Foley
We were very fortunate to have been introduced to Hal and Kathy by Bern Bullard. People meet a lot of different folks in their life time and some stand out more than others. We were struck by their friendliness and hospitality.
ReplyDeleteHal loved to talk about his time in the Marines playing basketball with the Marine team. I loved talking to him and was impressed by his competiveness, tennis, golf life's challenges Hal was a fighter. We met he and Kathy for dinner in Morehead after his illness, he never complained and one could feel his determination to go on with life and enjoy being around friends.
Hal, we miss you and looking forward to seeing you on Heaven's Street.....Semper Fidelis Marine.
Dan & Greta Richards
My connecion to Hal began before Kathy's with a cameo appearance. The Northwestern basketball team was playing Michigan in Ann Arbor. I was one of the Michigan Union waitresses who served the team their pre-game meal. The guys tortured me as I had a new pair of shoes that continuously squeeked. Hal, of course, was a part of that and he often remembered the occasion when we were together. Pat Perigo Gonser and I were with Kathy and Hal on their first date, baby blue eyes and baby blue sweater and hearts on their sleeves. What a night. Pat and I had taken the train to Northwestern for yet another match between our teams. As our friendship grew and grew Hal, Kathy and their family and I had many fun filled times together. Pat and I stood up with them at their wedding. Amelia, Kathy's mom had so many celebrations around the wedding that we thought poor Hal, filled with rich food and drink, might not make the wedding. From the Michigan Union to Florida, Hal added to my life. As my husband,Colin, has always said through the years," Hal is one of the best guys ever!" Hal, thanks for sharing a portion of your life with me, my love for you will remain for as long as I do. Marie
ReplyDeleteI have only one regret about knowing the Grant Family. That is that I did not meet them 30 or 40 years sooner. They are so much fun to be around. We have had many adventures, Playing golf with them and forever trying to see where Hal's ball went. Hal jumping in the pool which already held 10 kids and Trooper. Going to dinner in the limo and watching all the people trying to peer in to see what "important" people were inside. Having a wonderful dinner that Kathy seems to effortlessly create. Eating watermelon at the stand near Riverview. Watching their grandsons play basketball and watching Hal follow every move. Hal and Bob both winding up on the ground at a Mizzou tailgate and having 2 strong guys get them back on their feet. We have loved every minute we have spent together and will miss Hal mightily. We know he has already found the party scene in Heaven and entertaining everyone with his stories. We will remember him always with much love. Bob and Marilyn Hosenfelt
ReplyDeleteI would like to say that having met Hal a few times that he had left a larger than life impression on me.
ReplyDeleteI have always thought that your legacy is through your family, Chip Allison and Kathy are his legacy not forgetting all the grandchildren and his extended family.
This is a true sign of a great person.
Not forgetting behind the great man there is a great woman Kathy
He reminded me of the famous screen actor “the Duke” john Wayne
He was a big man in stature
He had a big heart.
He had a big dog (trooper)
Through my eyes he was living the American dream.
You will be greatly missed but fondly remembered
Jitendra
Paula
Kieran
Finn