Name: Visitation for Terry L. Grew
Start: 2018-01-20T19:00:00.000Z
End: 2018-01-20T20:30:00.000Z
Location: Peninsula Funeral Home & Crematory

NEWPORT NEWS - Terry L. Grew, 70, passed away on Monday, January 15, 2018 at Riverside Hospital. He was born on February 17, 1947 in Meyersdale, PA. He was the son of the late Julia Grew Hay and Lawrence Grew. Terry graduated from Salisbury Elk Lick High School and Jacksonville University. After serving 2 years in the military, he began his career working for the Veterans Administration in Pittsburgh, PA. He transferred to the Veterans Hospital in Hampton, VA. in 1977 and retired as CFO in 2014. Terry loved his shop by the water where he enjoyed making stained glass, building a deck to view the river, and watching the Steeler games with his family. He is survived by his wife Nancy of 47 years, daughter Michelle Hays; son in law Gary Hays, and granddaughter, Cassidy Hays; his brothers, Ron Grew, Mark Grew, Ed Hay, and sister, Becky Stein. Terry was a loving husband, father and doting grandfather. He will truly be missed by all of his family! The family will receive friends at Peninsula Funeral Home on Saturday, January 20, 2018 from 2:00-3:30 with a memorial service immediately following visitation.

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Published by Daily Press on Jan. 19, 2018.

Memories and Condolences
for Terry Grew

Sponsored by Peninsula Funeral Home & Crematory.

18 Entries

Kathy Fay Spence

January 13, 2025

Terry "Boo"--Our class of 1965 is getting ready to have our 60th Class Reunion. JoAnn Danks Dadisman is in charge of this one. We all sure know you will be greatly missed. So hoping you have been able to greet Joe Rose and Rick Robertson two recent passings. Sincerely, Kathy and the Class of 65.

Leslie Hooks (nee Corridon)

January 20, 2018

Mr Terry was a huge part of my childhood as he was my mother's boss for as long as I can remember. I can still hear him in the background yelling Cut the cord!! whenever I would call my mom at work. I was so incredibly sad to hear this news. Blessings to his family and friends and may he rest in perfect peace.

Dianne Anderson-Deloatch

January 20, 2018

Please accept my sincere condolences for your loss. I worked with Terry for many years at the VA and we had a lot of laughs together, especially when the Steelers played against the Bills. Terry was truly a good guy. May our Lord and Savior provide you and yours the comfort you need to get through this most difficult time.

Rick and Martha Poole Cawthon

January 19, 2018

Little did we know when we moved into our home Newport News, Va in 1994 that the move would begin one of the most rewarding friendships of our lives. Terry and Nancy Grew became dear, cherished friends as we spent the next 10 years living beside them. We still treasure their friendship some 23 years later and have kept in touch on a regular basis; some friends remain in our lives forever and those are the ones that make life worth living. Terry was one of those friends, Nancy still is.

Terry had a sharp, wise-crack sense of humor that never failed to engage Rick in a fun back and forth jab attack that ended up in full, side-splitting laughter. His dead-pan facial expressions threw you off guard every time. After acting like he was listening carefully to Rick's wining, his favorite response was of course you did.

He always genuinely offered to help with the many renovations we performed on our old house and showed up with tools in hand and a bag full of sarcastic advice on how we should get things done. He helped build decks, fences, the pier and other projects and we laughed through them all.

Rick and Terry spent many an evening after work sitting down by the river's edge fishing and reviewing the previous day's events at work, trying to convince each other that each had had the worst day. Made clearer by the dispensing of the occasional adult beverage, small victories were celebrated as they realized that each had survived yet another day of human resource problems, logistics, the Federal government and the myriad of issues those in upper management experience on a day-to-day basis.

Those years contained lots of adventures together as well. We purchased a new boat in St. Pete, FL and needed an extra hand to deliver it up to Virginia. Terry jumped at the chance to volunteer and as he had considerable experience in boating and was very handy with most any task. We gladly excepted his offer. We rented a car and headed down to FL on our great adventure. The boat was rather large (53') and would take some getting used to, but Terry jumped right in asking us why we didn't get a bigger one. Before we could leave we filled up with gas to head home and didn't realize that someone had left the fuel sending unit loose, so the gas tank was not sealed. We accidently over-filled the tanks and gas began to fill the bilge! If you don't realize it, this is a recipe for disaster. Everyone ran from the dock when they realized what was happening and Martha holed up about a block away watching from the second floor of a restaurant. Terry and Rick calmly opened the hatches, turned on the blowers, filled the bilge with soap and water and then patiently waited for the fumes and gas to evaporate. You can imagine the sheer panic all the bystanders were feeling as Rick and Terry decided it was safe and began the process of starting the engines! We ended up safe, but a little worse for wear on our emotions! Terry joked throughout the whole event and was quite a comfort to Rick standing by him during this nerve racking start up. Further down on the trip we ended up very late one evening arriving at a lock on the far side of Lake Okeechobee. Stuck trying to anchor in the pitch black night in what was warned as alligator infested water, Terry was the designated crew member to throw the lines to the big black tar covered dolphin (a huge upright stack of telephone poles wrapped together). Terry insists he saw a herd of alligators lurking by the swim platform waiting for him to get close enough to grab! We carry that story with a lot of laughter even now.

One year we bought a trawler in Chestertown, MD and had to bring it down the Chesapeake Bay in February. We didn't realize the weather would turn out to be below freezing and blowing out of the North 20 to 30 knots. With ice covering the windshield of the lower steering station, Terry was there with binoculars and charts in full Arctic garb helping navigate the Chesapeake Bay all the way down to the York River cutting jokes about how hot it was and feeling sorry for all those poor people on shore in their warm houses. He was always cheerful when lending a hand.

Terry will be missed by all of us. We are lucky to have had him as long as we did. Part of being human is to truly value your fellow man and to mourn the passing of any close friend. We mourn today for Terry and will never forget his presence in our lives. We can't help but to crack a little smile when we think of how he always brought laughter to our times together. Thanks, Terry, for the memories.

January 19, 2018

May the family find peace and comfort in knowing all sickness, all pain and death will one day be gone for this has been promised.

Frances Pride

January 19, 2018

So sorry to hear of Terry's passing. We worked together for many years at the Hampton VAMC and I will cherish many fond memories of him. My heartfelt condolences to his family and friends and I pray God will bless each of you and give you the strength to carry you through this difficult time.

Ken Ray

January 19, 2018

My condolences to the family, so sorry to lose such a good friend we had many good laughs together. I will miss him !

Fred Trunik

January 18, 2018

I'm so sorry for the loss of Terry. He was a great guy and I thoroughly enjoyed knowing and working with him at the VA Hospital for over 40 years. My condolences and prayers to his family at their loss. Fred Trunik

PAUL & DOTTIE GREW

January 18, 2018

Terry was not only my cousin, he was a wonderful friend. I will cherish the memories
we had growing up and attending the St.Paul's
United Church of Christ. I will treasure the
visit's whenever Terry and Mark came to our
home to visit with his mother, Jul. May God
bless your family, and may the Holy Spirit
descend down upon your family and give you
the peace that passes all understanding.
Paul D.Grew

George and Pat Skinner

January 18, 2018

Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this time of sadness. Terry was one great man. May our Lord grant you peace and comfort at this time.

January 18, 2018

Nancy, Michelle, Gary, and Cassidy,

Love to all of you during this difficult time. Terry was your rock and I know he filled a big space in your hearts. When you met Terry it was evident that he loved his family from the stories he told and the crazy things he did for you. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him.

Much Love to you and your extended families. You are in our thoughts and prayers.
Carol and Steve Bauer

Sandy Bryan

January 18, 2018

Terry was my supervisor for 20 years and was a dear friend even after that. He was a mentor to me in my personal career and was always available to help me in any way he could. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and he will be missed terribly! My heart is just broken!

January 18, 2018

May God continue to bless you during this sad time in your life. I enjoyed working with Mr. Grew when he was here at the Hampton VA Medical Center. He always had a warm smile on his face. Yes he loved his Pittsburgh Steelers . God bless you all.
Keith Camper
HVAMC

Nancy Nicholson

January 18, 2018

Terry and I worked together for many years at the VAMC in Hampton. He was a great friend and mentor. I was so sad to hear of his passing. I'll never forget that smile. I can see him still cheering those Steelers on to victory.

Carla Beachy

January 18, 2018

Bill and I were so sorry to learn of the loss of such a wonderful guy from the SELHS Class of 1965. We know that your family will miss him so much. Carla Garlitz and Bill Beachy

Kathy and Jim and Andrea Spence

January 18, 2018

Our deepest sympathy to Terry's family at this most difficult time of loss. May their memories give them comfort in the days ahead. Terry was a shining light for myself and my classmates at Salisbury Elk Lick Jr. Sr. High School, there was never a day that he didn't make us smile or laugh. He will be missed by so many. Godspeed Dear Friend!

Herbert Wood

January 18, 2018

Please accept my sorrow at your loss. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

Lawrence Pearson

January 18, 2018

Terry was a reliable friend and co-worker. Mr. Grew was honest, and a man of high integrity. He could be counted on to give his valuable insight into a persons personal problems, work-related issues, or to bring his dry wit to help me see my own errors. Terry helped me come to a better understanding of events and personalities. I'm hopeful that he had a pleasant retirement, even if it was short. I pray for him and his family.

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