Kim Allen Grassfield

1949 - 2023

Kim Allen Grassfield

Holyoke, MA - A memorial celebration will be held at 17 Canby St. in Holyoke starting at 1:00 PM on September 16 for Kim Allen Grassfield. Mr. Grassfield died peacefully at home on May 13th. The cause of death was pancreatic cancer. Kim was born in Denver Colorado on October 18, 1949, to Bruce and Mary Grassfield both students at Denver University at the time. His early peripatetic years resulted from his father electing to join the Air Force after serving in the Army Air Corps during the war. By nine years old he had climbed Mount Fuji and ridden dressage at Emperor Hiro Hito's Imperial palace. Two years later he starred on the 1960, undefeated (14 -0), Tigers Little League team at Otis Air Force Base on Cape Code. And in 1962 he moved to Niskayuna New York. He graduated from Niskayuna High School in 1967 and attended Vermont Academy for one additional year. He entered the University of Denver in the tumultuous fall of 1968 just as the college deferment for the Vietnam War draft was to end. A very low draft lottery number (4) guaranteed that he would be drafted by 1969. He dropped out to protest the war and did not return to academia for several years. But in 1982 he received a degree in Architectural Studies from Skidmore College. Shortly after he moved to Massachusetts where he remained the rest of his life. His was the life of the poet craftsman, the Buddhist maker, an intellectual carpenter. Kindness and community were his guide.

He is survived by his mother of Saratoga Springs NY, his brother Paul Grassfield of Brooklyn, NY, his Sister-In-Law Jennifer Stearns, nephew and niece Mason and Eve. His father and sister Amy preceded him in death. He will be lovingly remembered.