James Crawford Grace

James (Jim) Crawford Grace
James (Jim) Crawford Grace – loving, strong, and courageous husband, father, grandfather, son, and brother; brilliant and incisive business leader and innovator, and president of The Children's Health Market, publisher of The Great Body Shop health curriculum for children, families and teachers.
Jim died suddenly on November 15, 2025, at the age of 94, as he was getting ready for bed. He had had a good day and was looking ahead, as usual; his last words were: "I'm going to sleep now."
Jim was born in Yonkers, New York, to Katherine Foley Grace (later Katherine Foley Grace O'Brien), public school teacher and principal, and James Crawford Grace Senior, an accomplished landscaper who knew every flower and plant and the power it had to soothe the human psyche. Jim threw himself fully into everything he did, as an enthusiastic delivery boy for the Irish grocery, as an altar boy who often fainted (a common problem for very tall folks), and at school, prompting offers from both Columbia and M.I.T., which was the winner as he joined other math and science wizards to study and tackle the challenges of the day, as an undergraduate and in his master's degree studies.
Too tall for the Korean War due to the risk of attracting enemy fire, Jim instead joined an elite unit of M.I.T. scientists working to improve sonar for submarines. He went on to become one of the founders of the field today known as management information systems and as such, was a sort of Johnny Appleseed of technology, bringing creative analysis and insight everywhere he went. Cereal, soybeans, flour, steel beams, bus routes, furniture, film, children's health education curriculum, and more – Jim was always ready with ideas on how to better deploy available resources toward the goal.
In the last few decades of his life, Jim left other business interests behind and joined the love of his life, health education innovator Nancy Miller Grace, at the Children's Health Market, the company she founded and led, together increasing its reach nationally as its program, The Great Body Shop, became the industry leader.
It was inevitable that they would join forces in the workplace. Jim and Nancy met as college students at M.I.T. and Wellesley, married, and were together for nearly 74 years until her death in 2023. Raising a large family – in contrast to their very small families of origin – Jim and Nancy lived in Wellesley, MA, Hopkins, MN, Bethlehem, PA, and Binghamton, NY, finally settling in Wilton, CT, their home for over 50 years.
Jim enjoyed an active role in his children's and grandchildren's lives, and those of their loved ones, and always treasured the gift of life. He is survived by his children, Francie, Cecelia, Jamie, Teresa, Katie, and Tim; daughters-in-law Diane D'Arrigo and Sharon Lewis Grace; and grandchildren Chloe, Tim, James, and Olivia Grace. In addition to his wife Nancy, Jim was pre-deceased by daughter-in-law Diane Day Grace.
A Mass of Resurrection will be held at noon on Saturday, November 22, at Sacred Heart Church in Redding, CT.
To offer condolences, please visit boutonfuneralhome.com