James Stone Gratton

83, of 770 Salisbury Street, Worcester, died July 23, 2008 at the Rose Monahan Hospice. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Carole (Stevens) Gratton; two sons, John Duncan Gratton of Wellesley, Mass, and Jeffrey Nielsen Gratton of New York City; two grandchildren, Christina Grace Gratton and John William Gratton, and his daughter in law, Patricia (Brown) Gratton, all of Wellesley; a sister, Vicary (Gratton) Clark of Falmouth, Mass, and 13 nephews and nieces, their spouses and offspring, numbering 57 individuals. Two sisters, Muriel (Gratton) Small and Caroline (Gratton) Graham, predeceased him. His extended family was the chief joy of his life. Born in Palisades Park, New Jersey, the son of Rev. John Gratton and Esther (Stone) Gratton, he spent his childhood in Pittsfield, Mass, where his father was Pastor of the First Congregational Church. He graduated from The Hotchkiss School, Lakeville, Connecticut, in 1943, and from Yale University in 1947. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1943 to 1946 and retired from the Naval Reserve as a Lieutenant (JG). He was a general assignment reporter for the Worcester Evening Gazette from 1947-1950. He entered the Harvard Law School in the fall of 1950, from which he earned an LL.B. Degree in 1953. In that year he joined the firm of Thayer, Smith and Gaskill (now Bowditch & Dewey) where he practiced until his retirement as a senior partner in 1990. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are encouraged to the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, 470 Pleasant Street, Worcester MA 01609. Funeral arrangements are by Caswell-King Co., 474 Grove Street, WORCESTER. After cremation, burial will be in Rural Cemetery. A celebration of his life is to be held at 3 p.m. on Monday, July 28, 2008 at the First Unitarian Church, 90 Main Street, Worcester. Reception at the Church will follow immediately afterwards.