Edwin E. Grimes

News Death Notice

GRIMES, Edwin E. He enjoyed nothing more than being with friends and family and when Ed (Eddie) Grimes died December 10, 2010, he was at home surrounded by his loving family. Edwin Earl Grimes was born to Earl and Esther (Jordan) Grimes in Ironton, Ohio May 15, 1930. After Earl Grimes purchased the Massey Hardware Store, the family moved to the town that at that time was called Osborn and Ed started working in his father's store, when he was nine. He attended the Fairborn City Schools, graduating from Baker High School in 1948. He was studying for an accounting degree when he was drafted into the Army during the Korean War. While he was stationed in Germany, he discovered what became his lifelong love of travel, and saw as much of as many countries as possible. After he was discharged, he returned to Fairborn (which had originally been Osborn) Ohio, went to work for his father to learn the hardware business and married Patricia Studebaker. He soon recognized the major changes beginning to take place in his industry and he was able to convince his father that a successful future lay in new ways of doing business. Grimes Hardware then became part of ACE, a modern concept of a dealer owned co-operative. In 1972, Ed and Don Aldrich purchased the store from Earl Grimes and Ed began to make his vision of a multi-store chain a reality. Today there are over 200 men and women working in Grimes Handyman ACE stores in Fairborn, Centerville, Kettering, Miamisburg, Springfield, Xenia and two in Dayton. Through the years of expansion, Ed was always proud of his company's record of giving first time jobs to many young people and watching them take Handyman's training with them as they moved onward and upward in their careers. At the same time, he felt pride in the lack of employee turnover and in the policy of promoting from within. While his company changed, his personal life did also. In 1979, he purchased a beach house on the island of St. Croix, USVI; in 1981, after what he liked to call a nine year whirl-wind courtship, he married Mary VanCampen. Through the years, he consistently supported many of Fairborn's civic activities with both time and money. In return, he was honored by the City by being named Grand Marshall of the Fourth of July Parade and in 2002 was inducted into the Fairborn High School Hall of Honor. He was a founding member of the BAD BUNCH (Bigger Ace Dealers), belonged to The Heritage Foundation, the Masons, Greene Country Club, St. Croix Landmarks Society, St. George's Botanical Garden, The American Legion, and MENSA. In good years and bad, he was a loyal Cleveland Browns fan and always cheered OSU on. He enjoyed sailing, entertaining, bridge with friends, good books, the beach on St. Croix, and exploring with Mary the 48 states and the 52 countries they visited. He is survived by his wife Mary, children Laurie Grimes Wesemann, Susie Grimes, David Grimes and his wife Terri, Eddie Grimes and his wife Katherine, his sister Carolyn Gondert her husband John and their family, his aunt Georganne Greene and her family, four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. In addition, his step-daughters Susan Fair, Barbara Bisker and her husband Jeff, Lisa Orr and her husband Mike, Julia Schmitz and her husband Jim, seven grandchildren and one great grandchild survive him. Ed will always be remembered with love for his generosity, his humor, his indomitable spirit and his ability to see always the positive. Friends may pay respects on Wednesday December 15, 2010, from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm at Belton-Stroup Funeral Home, 422 E. Dayton-Yellow Springs Road, Fairborn, Ohio, where a funeral service will be held at 10:00 AM on Thursday December 16, 2010 with burial to follow in the Byron Cemetery, Fairborn. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: The Hospice of Dayton, 324 Wilmington Ave., Dayton, OH 45420 www.hospiceofdayton.org -or- The College of the Ozarks, PO Box 17, Point Lookout, MO 65726 www.cofu.edu. Condolences may be made to the family at www.BeltonStroup.com.