John Campbell Grabau

John Campbell Grabau, Ph.D, M.P.H. of Punta Gorda, Florida, peacefully passed away on July 2nd after a brief illness with his loved ones at his side. John was predeceased by his parents A. Arthur and Marie Grabau. He is survived by his wife of 20 years Deborah Grabau, his sons Mark (Lindsay) Grabau, children Gunnar and Addison, and Trevor (Sydney) Grabau, children Julian and Gavin. He is also survived by step-daughters Kristen Lilkas, Danielle Williamson, and Erica Lilkas along with many bonus grandchildren. In 2008, John and Debbie followed their dream and moved from New York's Capital Region to Southwest Florida to embrace life on the water in the beautiful Punta Gorda Isles with their boat docked in their backyard.

John was educated at the State University of New York in Buffalo, where he received his BA. He earned his Master's at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and returned to Buffalo for his PhD. His passion was public health and epidemiology. He delivered his dissertation on Health Education as an Element of Health Policy in 1978.

John had a lifelong career with the NYS Department of Health in the Office of Public Health, where he worked closely with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institute of Health, and the American Lung Association. He served as the Assistant Director in the Bureau of Tuberculosis Control for the State of New York. During this time, he authored many journals and had numerous publication credits, including the NYS Journal of Medicine and the American Journal of Public Health. He was honored for his service with awards, including the Commissioner's Award on four different occasions. After his retirement, John remained active in his field of expertise as a consultant with the Southeastern National Tuberculosis Center at the University of Florida.

In addition to his time with the Health Department, John also enjoyed a second career as an On-Air DJ. While in NY, he worked weekends with many stations including B95.5. During his retirement years, he was an on-air personality with several radio stations in SW Florida.

John was a member of many local clubs and was an avid pickleball player. He had a passion for Corvettes, of which he owned several over the years. His sons were always thoughtful to ensure that no Corvette gas went stale while he was out of town, which John found unsettling. He enjoyed an array of pastimes, including piloting RC planes and photography. Growing up in western NY, he became an avid Buffalo Bills fan- a trait he has passed on to his sons and grandchildren. He also developed his love for boating in WNY on the Niagara River at a young age, while water-skiing with friends and cousins. For over 30 years in Albany he boated on the Mohawk River, spending many hours towing and ultimately trying to dunk the kids on tubes, rafts, skis, or kneeboards. Eventually the tables turned, and they were dunking him with great enthusiasm. He was able to share his love of being on the water in his final career as a certified captain at Freedom Boat Club of Southwest Florida, where he trained new members. In addition to human company, John was always accompanied by one of his beloved dogs on his boat rides. He spent many hours on his own boat simply relaxing on the water, living the dream on Charlotte Harbor. He jet-skied and kayaked all around the harbor and canals, coming across lots of marine life including dolphins, manatees, and even a gator. He loved sharing time fishing in the canal with his grandchildren.

There will be a Celebration of Life for John on July 19, 2025 at 9:00 AM at Punta Gorda Isles Civic Association, and a service in Albany, NY on August 30th at the Community Reformed Church of Colonie at 9:00 AM. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the American Cancer Society or the CDC.