Gregory Stephen “Greg” Grantham

1948 - 2020

Gregory Stephen "Greg" Grantham, loving husband and father, passed away peacefully at his Fort Bragg home on November 25, 2020, after a short battle with esophageal cancer. Greg was a kind and gentle soul, with a great sense of humor, adventurous nature, and artistic sense. He had enormous passion and integrity in all that he did. He touched many lives and will be greatly missed.
Greg was born in Oakland, CA, on November 29, 1948. He grew up in Pleasant Hill, CA, and graduated from College Park High School in 1966. He enlisted in the Army and served in Vietnam, arriving there during the Tet Offensive. Surviving the horrors of war and befriending many Vietnamese people fed his deep sense of compassion for others. Greg settled in Mendocino and worked various jobs over the years at Grader's Fish House, Navarro Winery, City of Fort Bragg, and in construction. He attended College of the Redwoods, Mendocino Coast and transferred to Sonoma State, where he received his Bachelor's in Biology and Geography. He graduated with a Master's in Marine Science from Sonoma State in 1983. It was at Sonoma State that he met the love of his life and future wife, Sarah Quentin. They married in 1988, settling in Inglenook. Their daughter, Kelly, was born in 1993.
Greg was a professor of Biology and Marine Science at College of the Redwoods, Mendocino Coast from 1984 to 2012. He pioneered the Marine Science Technology program, allowing many students to pursue higher education or careers in marine science. He also taught two summers in Palau, Micronesia-one of the highlights of his teaching career. Greg was an inspiring, challenging, and entertaining teacher, and took enormous pride in his work. His hobbies included world travel, scuba diving, ocean kayaking, and bonsai. He travelled the world with his family to remote locations and made many friends along the way. He revisited Viet Nam with his wife, Sarah, in 2017.
Greg is survived by his wife, Sarah Quentin, daughter, Kelly Grantham-Rinehart (Ian), brother, Ronald (Claudia), sister, Sandi, sister-in-law, Amy Murphy, and nieces and nephews. His family would like to thank Mendocino Coast Hospice for their services.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to local scholarship funds in his name, Noyo Center for Marine Science, or Mendocino Coast Hospice.