Robert Wayne Grant

Robert Wayne Grant was born May 4, 1931 at home on the family farm in Slagle, LA to Jim and Merle Grant. His father Jim made his living as a farmer/carpenter, while his mother Merle was a seamstress at nearby Ft. Polk. Wayne had two brothers, Glen (older, deceased) and Donald (younger, deceased), as well as three sisters, Pauline (older, deceased), Dorothy (younger), and Gail (younger).

Wayne attended school in Simpson, LA about thirteen miles from his home, and despite his small stature (5’ 8”) was a member of the school basketball team. At about the age of seventeen he followed his brother Glen to Houston, where he and Glen took up residence with a very kind Presbyterian family. Shortly thereafter, Wayne joined the Air Force as the country was involved in the Korean War, and began his training in sheet metal work while serving.

During his tenure in the Air Force Wayne accompanied his first cousin on a visit to Diboll, TX where he met his future wife Dema Parker, the two were married on December 29, 1951. Wayne went on to complete his sheet metal apprenticeship, and Dema became a secretary for Kerr McGee, an oil company. They both worked for their respective employers for better than forty years. Wayne was a member of Sheet Metal Workers Local #54, so he did intermittent stints at various companies over the years, but most of his employment was with Blumenthal Sheet Metal in Houston, TX.

Wayne was, at one time, a member of the Lion’s Club, and spent time working to help the Blind. He and Dema attended Advent Presbyterian Church where he served as a deacon for several years.

Together, Wayne and Dema enjoyed bowling, and spent many of their evenings after work bowling in various leagues. Many of their vacations were planned around State and National Bowling Tournaments. As their passion for bowling began to wind down, Wayne developed a love for the game of golf, and spent most of his weekends on the golf course. By all accounts, it is said that he was above average in both of his sports endeavors, carrying an above 200 average in bowling, and a single digit handicap in golf.

As time passed, the bowling vacations turned into golf vacations, but more importantly, these vacations became somewhat of an annual family reunion of sorts, as they shared those vacations with his older brother and his wife, as well as his younger sister and her husband.

Wayne and Dema had one child, a son named Robert Jr., born April 21, 1959. Although they were both named Robert Wayne Grant, Wayne had always used his middle name.

Wayne Grant will be sorely missed, and remembered as an awesome father, grandfather, great grandfather, brother, and friend.

Services will be held at Beresford Funeral Services (13501 Alief Clodine Rd, Houston, TX 77082) on Wednesday April 30, 2014. Visitation is 10:00 am to 12:00pm, and the service will be at 12:00pm at Beresford. There will also be a military style service at the Houston National Cemetery to honor his service in the United States Air Force at 2:00 pm.