John Michael Grace

BLOOMVILLE _ John Michael Grace, D.O., M.D., of Bloomville, passed away Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2008, after a lengthy illness.
He was born April 27, 1934, in Brooklyn, the son of Michael Patrick and Anastasia Marie (Bergin) Grace, and married Ellen Marie Jessup on Dec. 26, 1960, at St. Agnes Cathedral in Rockville Centre.
He graduated from St. Francis College, Brooklyn, with a B.S. degree and did graduate studies at Brooklyn College and St. John's University. He earned a D.O. degree from Des Moines University, the College of Osteopathic Medicine, Des Moines, Iowa. The University of California School of Medicine in Irvine, Calif., conferred an M.D. degree in 1961.
His general medicine internship was served in Saginaw, Mich. Dr. Grace practiced general medicine in Wantagh, where he was school physician for the Seaford School District, and was a founder and owner of Massapequa General Hospital, Plainview.
After 10 years of family practice, he specialized in psychiatry and did his residency studies with the New York State Department of Mental Hygiene at Central Islip State Hospital and at Binghamton State Hospital. During his residency, he was assigned to the Schoharie County Mental Health clinic. As a psychiatrist, he practiced at Mercy Hospital, Watertown, and St. Lawrence State Hospital, Ogdensburg.
In 1979, Dr. Grace and his family moved to Vermont, where he was chief of staff of the psychiatric unit at Central Vermont Hospital in Montpelier, Vt.
In the late 1980s, he returned to the NYS Department of Mental Hygiene with the Penn Yan Mental Health Clinic and practiced forensic psychiatry at the state hospitals in Willard and Middletown.
After retiring from NYS in 1993, he practiced in the states of Indiana, Missouri, Virginia and Pennsylvania, as a locum tenum psychiatrist.
Dr. Grace held medical licenses in the aforementioned states, as well as California and Vermont. He was a member of the American Association of Psychiatric Administrators and many other professional organizations. "Jack" was a member of Rotary International, the Elks (B.P.O.E.) and the Knights of Columbus.
From 1981 to 1985, he was a member of the Barre, Vt., School Board of Education. He also held a New York State Real Estate Broker license.
Dr. and Mrs. Grace retired to their farms in the towns of Stamford, Kortright and Bovina and spent winters on Vieques Island, Puerto Rico, where he was active as a director of the Vieques Council of the Navy League of the United States.
He enjoyed hunting, deep sea fishing, and was an avid pilot who flew the East Coast and the Caribbean.
Jack is survived by his wife, the love of his life; four children, John Jr., Gregory P. of Concord, N.H., Geoffrey P. of Otego, and E. Maria of Saratoga Springs; nine grandchildren; several aunts and numerous cousins throughout this country and Ireland.
A service of remembrance and a gathering of friends will be held this spring.
Contributions in memory of Dr. Grace may be made to the Bloomville Fire Department and Rescue Squad, Bloomville, NY 13739.