Dr. Roy Edward Grant

Dr. Roy Edward Grant

March 3, 1939-January 24, 2026

Dr. Roy Edward Grant was born March 3, 1939, in Rossville, Georgia, to Charles Roy Grant and Mable Knight Grant. His life was shaped by faith, family, music, and a deep commitment to serving others.

He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Beatrice Wright Grant; his daughters, Beverly Grant and Melanie Grant; his son-in-law, Ben Morgan; and his grandson, Walker Morgan, one of the great joys of his life. Roy loved time with his family.

Roy earned a bachelor's degree in Church Music and Psychology from Carson-Newman College and a master's degree in Church Music from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, where he met his wife, Beatrice. They were married on January 14, 1967.

Music was Roy's lifelong language. Largely self-taught, he played piano, guitar, and autoharp, sang beautifully, and believed strongly in learning to play by ear. He sang in a gospel quartet, The Victorairs, with his siblings and later brought music into unexpected places-wherever it could offer connection or comfort.

Roy served as a music therapist and chaplain in Kentucky and Alabama before becoming the first doctoral student in Music Therapy at the University of Georgia, earning his doctorate in 1972. He spent decades shaping the UGA Music Therapy program, serving 23 years as Clinical Director, and retired in 2001 as an Associate Professor Emeritus. Even in retirement, Roy continued supervising students and volunteering with individuals living with Alzheimer's disease. In 2002, he received the National Association of Music Therapists' Lifetime Achievement Award.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Ramona, and his brothers Tommy and Bernard. He is also survived by his brother Larry Grant (Debbie) and sister Yvonne Hood (Sam).

Funeral services will be held Saturday, February 7, at 2:00 p.m., in the Bernstein Funeral Home Chapel, 3195 Atlanta Highway, Athens, Georgia. Interment will be in Evergreen Memorial Park, 3655 Atlanta Highway, Athens, Georgia.

The family will receive friends Friday, February 6, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., at Bernstein Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Roy Grant Music Therapy Scholarship at https://gail.uga.edu/commit?search=75566003&desonly=1

Bernstein Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.