Grant Eney

ENEY, GRANT MAYO, age 21, beloved son of Craig and Katie Eney and brother of the late Craig E. "Van" Eney, Jr., died March 9 at Baptist Hospital in South Miami, FL surrounded by family and friends, two days after being found unconscious while snorkeling for lobsters in the Florida Keys. Grant was born in Annapolis and was a junior at the College of Charleston in Charleston, SC majoring in Arts Management with a minor in Real Estate. He was a member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) fraternity and dear friend to anyone with the time and willingness to get to know him. He attended St. Anne's Day School in Annapolis through Eighth grade then went on to Indian Creek High School from which he graduated in 2011. First and foremost, Grant was devoted to his family and his commitment to his late brother Van's memory was matched by his love and kindness toward his mother and father. He found in his girlfriend Morgan a kindred spirit who shared his joie de vivre and curiosity about the world around them. His extended family of aunts and uncles and cousins brought him endless joy and countless opportunities for a celebration, such as they all experienced just recently during his 21st birthday in Charleston. Grant was born an "old soul" and was an engaging, handsome and vibrant young man who touched more lives and made more friends in his short life than most octogenarians. Those who knew him best recall his boundless energy, his timely wit and his irrepressible spirit. He amused all as a friendly prankster as well as with his ability to spin a grand story. And while he could exasperate some with his unwillingness to ever take no for an answer, that was, in retrospect, one of his most endearing traits. He was a man who simply refused to accept any artificial limitations that could slow his relentless search for adventure. And friendship with Grant Eney meant endless adventure. Grant was a character in every sense of the word. No one ever complained of boredom when he was around. It could be exhausting, but also exhilarating and if you were willing to go along for the ride you would never be disappointed. He was a friend to all those he met, excluding no one and seeing each new face as a potential sidekick for a new round of shenanigans. For the people around him, their greatest joy was watching Grant grow from an insouciant youth with a wry, impish smile into the man he became: strong, solid, caring, loving and beloved. He had seen difficult times and learned some of life's hardest lessons but they only served to reinforce the steel in his soul. The only soft part of Grant Eney was his heart which was as big and as welcoming as the world he was looking to conquer. Grant Eney belonged to Annapolis. It was his home and his heart. From cub scouts to youth lacrosse, to sailing lessons and summer jobs, the friends and coaches and mentors he knew there provided the foundation for his life and helped mold who he was. But Grant also knew there was more to see and discover and that living life meant exploring new opportunities in different places. His membership in the SAE fraternity brought him in contact with friends from new and interesting places who could help on that front and he wasn't shy about incorporating them into his mission. He had organized an internship at a talent agency in Los Angeles for the upcoming summer and was looking forward to that opportunity with great anticipation. He loved to hunt geese and ducks at the family's King's Prevention Farm on Maryland's Eastern Shore and boating on the Chesapeake Bay was one of his favorite past times, but always with friends - the more the better. Grant Eney was a lesson to us all. He was always looking to the future, to the next adventure, to the magic that life holds for those willing to hunt it down. He refused to wallow in self-pity when times were tough and he did whatever he could to dissuade others from doing the same, encouraging them instead to join him in experiencing -- and enjoying -- all the marvels life has to offer. He will be missed by everyone who knew him but he has left us all with a greater appreciation for life and the things we can do with it, if we are willing to follow Grant's lead and "hunt it down." Grant Eney is survived by his parents, Katie and Craig Eney; his grandparents, J. Mayo Brown of Upperville, VA and Kathleen Van Wyck Tanham of Chestertown; his aunts and uncles, Susan and Tom Kane, Lynn and Mac McCreary, Mark and Julie Eney, Carrington Brown, Sherrod Brown and Andrea Brown; as well as 9 cousins and many many close friends. A service honoring his shortened and celebrated life will be held on Saturday, March 15 at 11:00 AM at St. Anne's Episcopal Church, Church Circle, Annapolis. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, the Eney family would be most grateful for donations to be made to the College of Charleston in Memory of Grant Eney, College of Charleston Foundation, 66 George St., Charleston, SC 29424 (or online at www.cofc.edu/giving). Online condolences may be left for the family at www.johnmtaylorfuneralhome.com.