Jon Grant

1944 - 2019

Jon Howard Grant, 75, passed away Thursday (Sept. 26, 2019) in Knoxville, Tennessee. He was born Feb. 13, 1944, in Newton, to the late John "Howard" Grant and Thelma Lucille "Lucy" Bartlett. On Jan. 13, 1963, he married Carol Jean Stucky. He was in the sixth generation of Grants to call Newton home.

Jon was born to work and took great pride in a job well done. He was so successful and his resume was filled with incredible accomplishments. He farmed his own five acres of land as a young boy. He owned his own gas station while still in high school. He was a Sergeant in the Kansas National Guard. He worked for Boeing in Wichita and was also afforded the opportunity to move his young family to Florida to work on the Apollo and Saturn rocket programs at Kennedy Space Center from the mid-60s to early '70s. In the mid-70s, after returning to Newton, he bought Eastgate Lanes in Newton.

His aerospace and defense career eventually took him to Nashville, Tennessee, in the early '80s. By the late '80s and early '90s, he was improving the MLRS program at LTV in Camden, Arkansas. That program would be instrumental in the success of Operation Desert Storm. His final work accomplishment came when he helped take the V22 Tilt Rotor Osprey program in Amarillo, Texas, from concept to flight.

As a teen, Jon danced at the Hi-Fi Hop, jumped over barrels on roller skates and worked on his car. Later in life, he was a great bowler and had a wonderful community of friends at Eastgate Lanes and in the greater Newton area. He had plenty of sarcasm and he successfully passed it down in abundance to his children and grandchildren.

Jon is survived by his bride of 56 years, Carol. Through this union, they had four wonderful children: Christina Kae Foust of Longmont, Colorado, Jon Patrick Grant (Janet Lynn Lindsay) of Charlotte, North Carolina, Kathryn Renee (Timothy "Scott") Lyles of Knoxville, Tennessee, and Jason Michael Grant (Alyssa Danielle Kubricht) of Centennial, Colorado. Grandchildren include: Casey Lauren Foust (John Edward) Matthews, Samuel Greenwood Grant, Sarah Bell Grant, Travis Scott Lyles, Amanda Renee Lyles, Ella Blythe Grant, Vivian Iris Grant, Andrew Theodore Grant, Beatrice Flannery Grant; and one great-granddaughter, Harper Ann Matthews. Also surviving are his sister, Dennes Rae "Dennie" (James Donald "Big Jim") Gronau; brother, Hugh William "Bill" Grant; brother in-law, Glen Howard (Terri Dubetsky) Stucky; sister in-law, Patricia Sue Stucky; as well as nieces, nephews and his western Kansas Bartlett cousins.

Jon was predeceased by his parents; his sister, Leslie Fay (Joseph "Joe" Martin) Jessee; brothers-in-law, Loren Lee Stucky, George Allen Stucky and Arlan Dean Stucky; sister-in-law, Shari Grochowsky Grant; and nephew, Cary Grant Gronau.

We thank the incredible teams of medical professionals and the many kind souls who have helped to care for, and extend the life of, this man. Dad will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

A Celebration of Life will be held at noon Saturday, Oct. 19, 2019, at Berry Highland Memorial, 5315 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37919, with a burial and a reception to follow.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to one of the following organizations: American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Association and the Hospice provider, CARIS Healthcare.