Stephen Lee Grady

Stephen Lee Grady finished a courageous fight with brain cancer in the early morning hours of Thursday, January 29, 2026. Steve was a faithful servant who loved the Lord, his wife, his children, his family, and his community.

Steve was born in Lubbock, Texas on June 5, 1962. He spent his school years in Dallas, Texas and graduated from First Baptist Academy in 1981. He completed an undergraduate degree in Psychology and earned a Masters Degree in Gerontology from North Texas State University (NTSU).

Steve met his wife, Melinda (Mindee) Mainwold, through Campus Crusade for Christ’s ministry (NTSU/CRU) and they married on June 10, 1989, in Dallas, TX.

Steve was a patient soul inclined to give everyone the benefit of the doubt and to always believe the best in others. Living a life exemplifying service, Steve attended Prince Avenue Baptist Church and Athens Church, where he volunteered in the pre-school environment, co-led and participated in community groups, and enjoyed a long-standing men’s accountability group for over 28 years. He and his family participated in several hurricane relief efforts, mission trips, and outreach ministries focused on college students. He volunteered with Sparrow’s Nest of Athens and served on the boards of Young Life-Athens and The Great Exchange.

Steve worked as an administrator in Long-Term Care and retirement communities in Texas, Florida, and South Carolina before relocating to Athens, Georgia. He later transitioned to a sales position with Banker’s Life, where he enjoyed a 27-year career helping seniors with their long-term health needs and financial goals. His customer-focused approach and attention to detail allowed him to serve his customers and his company very well. 

Steve was a loving and supportive father, always cheering on and participating with his children in their sports endeavors. He was a long-distance runner in high school and college - participating in many marathons and 5K runs. When his grown children started running these same events, Steve would jump onto the course alongside them and run a stretch to pump them up and encourage them to keep going.

He especially enjoyed one on one time with his children and was always up for any activity they wished to share with him. Steve loved long walks and sunrises at the beach with the family and was thrilled to fulfill a long-standing dream to take a mountain biking trip with both sons. He spent months training for the challenge with a mix of gym spin classes and road rides. He loved to tell the story of how he surprised his sons, and trip guides with his ability to handle the Utah trails they conquered. He consistently reminded his children that he loved them through his words and actions and would tell them frequently that he was proud of them.

Steve occasionally pushed the boundaries on rules he didn’t quite embrace, evidenced by a reasonably sufficient collection of “surprise” traffic citations. Family members often commented that he had missed his calling as a race-car driver. Other antics included jumping from the back deck of their home onto a trampoline w/his children. Then, deciding to “take it up a notch,” Steve reversed directions, and almost made the deck (fortunately, no one was hurt).

Steve had a tremendous love of nature and a very strong sense of adventure. Mountain biking, hiking, running, walking, swimming in the ocean, raking and burning leaves, or simply being outdoors with friends were favorite pastimes. He embodied an infectious enthusiasm in all endeavors, never fearing embarrassment and not afraid to laugh at himself.

Steve was a driven and determined planner and goal setter who took pride in putting objectives on paper and accomplishing them. He lived out his faith, valued prayer and God’s word, and focused his life on helping others. To those of us who shared this brain-tumor journey with him, Steve became a living illustration of scriptural peace that passes understanding. He understood the ferocity of his opponent and the unfairness of its attack on him. Not one to complain, Steve maintained a positive mindset, and often reminded those closest to him to do the same, and never allowed the slightest hint of bitterness to take root. Rather, he chose to find joy each day, even in the midst of these most difficult circumstances. Our efforts to help and encourage Steve were significant, but they paled in comparison to the inspiration he provided us.

Steve’s family is especially grateful for the exceptional medical care he received from teams at Mayo Clinic (Jacksonville, FL), Piedmont Hospitals- (Atlanta and Athens), University Cancer and Blood Center (Athens, GA), and Humanizing Medicine (Decatur, GA).

Steve is survived by his wife, Melinda Grady; his children: Matthew, Hollee and Ryan; his mother, Mary Ruth Grady, his sister: Mary Margaret Grady Jones (Jimmy), aunt, Ruth Wilkerson; cousins Gordon Wilkerson, David Wilkerson and Sarah Wilkerson Scott; aunt, Glenda Wilkerson; cousins Lora Wilkerson Welty and Bryce Wilkerson, nephew: Daniel Jones (Hannah) grand-nieces: Peyton, Molly Kate, Georgia, grand-nephew: Barrett, nephew: Jonathan Jones (Brittany) grand-nieces: Adeline and Lily, nephew: Timothy Jones (Kanah), nephew: Josiah Jones (Kim), niece: Sarah Jones DeLeon (Edmundo), grand niece: Ellie, grand nephews: Noah, Lucas, Liam, niece: Rebekah Jones Curran (David) - grand niece: Madeleine, niece: Mary Anne Jones, niece: Hannah Jones Perry (Joey), grand nieces: Isabelle, Emma, grand nephew, Samuel, brother-in-Law: Michael Mainwold (Kim) niece: Lexie Mainwold Parker(Evan); and nephew: Connor Mainwold. Stephen was preceded in death by his father: William Francis Grady, paternal grandparents: William Francis and Veda Grady, maternal grandparents: Gordon and Cleo Wilkerson, mother and father-in-law: Diane (Iserhardt) and William Kitchin, and father-in-law: Ray Mainwold.

Steve's Celebration of Life service will be held at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia, Athens, GA, Conservatory Great Room, Sunday, March 8, 2026 at 4 p.m. with reception following.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly suggest donations be made in honor of Stephen to The Great Exchange, https://thegreatexchange.org/ Medical Campus Outreach, Augusta, GA - https://mcoaugusta.org/ or Head for the Cure, https://headforthecure.org/

Lord and Stephens Funeral Home, WEST, has been entrusted with arrangements.