Steve Wiley Grantham

Steve Wiley Grantham, 70, died September 14, 2006 at his residence after a short illness.

Visitation will be held at Christ United Methodist Church on Monday, September 18 at 11:00 with funeral services beginning at 1:00. Burial will be at Wright and Ferguson Funeral Home's Parkway Memorial Cemetery on Highland Colony Parkway immediately thereafter.

Steve was born on May 4, 1936, in Clinton, Iowa to Annabelle Ewing Grantham and Vernon Luther Grantham, Jr. He attended the University of Southern Mississippi for one year and after a stint in the Navy, entered the University of Mississippi where he obtained a degree in business. In addition, he attended post graduate studies at Harvard Business School.

He married while at Ole Miss and after graduation moved to Jackson to work for Flint Brothers construction. Always wanting to have his own business, he started an insurance business in Crystal Springs and by 1968, he had purchased Barksdale Bonding and Insurance Company.

He sold Barksdale to Fred S. James in 1981 and in 1983 started TMC of Mississippi (a long distance company). In 1986, he sold TMC and started Outback Steakhouse's first restaurants west of the Mississippi River in 1989 in Dallas, Texas. He returned to Jackson in 1993 and has 9 Outback's in operation in West Tennessee and Mississippi.

Steve Sr. was very active in the community. He was president of the Jackson Country Club, Capital City Club, and served as Chairperson of the International Ballet. He was a member of Christ United Methodist Church. He was an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed all sporting activities.

He is survived by his wife of 48 years Rosemary Flint Grantham, his son Steve Wiley Grantham, Jr. of Madison, MS and his wife Mary Mavar Grantham, his son Robert Vernon Grantham of Oxford, MS and his wife Roane Rayner Grantham. Additionally, he is survived by 5 grandchildren: Mary Morgan, Wiley, Gail, Sharp, and Victor. He is survived by his mother Betty P. Grantham and a sister Mary Ellen Stanton of Hattiesburg, MS. He was preceded in death by a sister, Harriet Ann Williamson.

The family would like to especially thank Doctors Jimmy Jones, Van Lackey, Dan Woodliff, and Dee Ann Gilbert and the staff of Oxford Home Healthcare for their extraordinary care. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the American Cancer Society, or the stained glass fund of Christ United Methodist Church.