I became a high school math teacher solely because of Mr. Grady.   I remember his chalk ridden pants, and constant reminder that “there is no distributive power of exponents!”  I think of him regularly and am sorry I did not tell him of his incredible impact on my life.

My memories of Coach Grady & Family:
- Growing up a few blocks away in Greenbrier Neighborhood Arlington Hts
- Going to Greenbrier School, Rand, BGHS, EIU w Daughter Kelly & then our twin boys playing with her son Joey in Cary/Crystal Lake
- Coach Grady’s command of some great teams! His love of numbers, betting & the horses at Arlington Park
- Having the life experience (which I think about daily w great memories) of playing in his program from ‘81-‘85
- Coach was always a straight shooter literally & figuratively. He would bet us on free throws at end of practice & he never lost! He had a great shot! Then he would wager that his 8 yo son Billy would beat us too!
- Mrs Grady having us over for lasagna dinners at their home after winning regionals & we never lost Regionals! Thank you Mrs Grady!!
- His talks about life, religion, family, friends. Education & love. He told us that he loved us all.
- Coach was tough & demanded/expected 100% all the time. & everyone on the court in practice or a game gave him that. We didn’t want to ever disappoint!
- Coach always had a plan fir practice & especially games. Super organized, strategic & smart!
- Coach filled a void I had in my teen years & provided great guidance that I really needed. I think of him daily.
- Coach commanded great respect In Our school & community!
- We lost the 1984 Super-sectional vs Evanston HS @ NU by 4points, He told us how proud he was of every player, team manager, & coaches. He also said how much we can learn from a painful loss, & that he was going to miss all of us!
- I saw him a couple weeks later while working at Burt’s Car Wash on Rand Road & he told me that he was stepping down from coaching. I was sad but happy for him.
Mrs Grady, Kelly, Billy, & all the grandkids my deepest condolences & fond memories.
Coach Grady lived a great life & had a positive influence on so many young lives. Blessings to all of you!
Tommy Berg & Family



I wasn't a Basketball player.  I knew Mr. Grady from Freshman Algebra class where I was a "C" student.  I struggled with Math but he was always willing to help me out when I asked.  We had some pretty terrific teams back in those days and I loved Monday mornings when my first period class was Algebra because he always gave us a great re-cap of the games over the weekend.  

Mr. Grady, you left an impression with me.  Thank-you.

I was one of Mr Grady”s students at BGHS class of 75”. Math was the only subject I excelled in, he graded on a bell curve and I was always at the highest score to start the curve. He was so nice to me, I was sick for a week, had a test when I got back. I did terrible on, and he let me take it over, he said “I know I can do better”. He was rite on, got an A+. Thank You Mr Grady I’ll never forget you. You always had my back!
Lynn Madsen

I grew up in Greenbriar and knew Mr. Grady through Kelly and the Campfire girls group we were in together. Mrs. Grady was one of our Campfire Girl mom leaders. I remember the father-daughter camp outs we had with our dads. This was before BGHS and Coach Grady coaching my brother Jeff for the basketball team. He was later my math teacher and I was one of his basketball managers. So many memories and fun times. My sincere condolences to Kelly and Billy on losing their father, it’s a great loss. To Mrs. Grady, a big hug and I hope your memories help you through the sad times. 

I was honored to know Mr. Grady through Kelly.  I never had any classes with him, but spending so much time at his house and even vacations. I got to know him quite well. I always appreciated his guidance, tenacity, perseverance and 
his passion for his basketball team.  I loved and laughed  at how he always went out of his way in the halls to try to embarress me.. He had yet to win. I will miss him, He always gave me great guidance that I will forever cherish.  My many condolences to my second family that I  was lucky to have for those years.❤️❤️

One of my favorite teachers from high school. He was tough but really pushed us to achieve our best. I tell a story to my patients all the time about how Mr Grady told all the parents at parent teacher conferences that the support of the parents made the biggest impact and difference in why we were in advanced math and that it made his job much easier.  He was a great man and a positive influence to all!

Mr. Grady was my freshman basketball coach.  He was tough coach, but fair.  Great man!

One of my favorite teachers of all time. Does anyone remember him saying… if I have something important that you need to know I’ll say it twice. And Algebra I, “turn the crank” to change the sign. Made algebra easy to understand. 

Paul Grady made a big impact on me a a young teacher at BGHS.  He was always pushing his students and his colleagues to do what was right and that we had a responsibility to connect with our students.  Paul walked the walk.  I still think about the advice he gave me when I teach.  Condolences to the Grady family.

I taught at BG when Paul was coaching great basketball teams.  We all had great fun going to the games and cheering the Bison on.  May God bless and keep Paul.  Thank you.

Cherris,

Thinking of you and the family at the passing of Paul.  I will always remember the BG basketball games and making treats for the team.   When Paul invited me to attend team dinners at your home, that was special and so thoughtful of both of you.  

Charlene Lemke 

My thoughts and prayers go out to the Grady family.  I was fortunate enough to have Coach Grady as a math teacher and basketball coach, in what turned out to be his final, special season of 1984.  He was an excellent teacher, great coach and an even better man.   May he Rest In Peace.  

My deepest condolences to the Grady family. Coach Grady was a great influence on me when I played basketball for Buffalo Grove from 1981-1985.  He taught me a lot about life and about accountability, and my appreciation for him only grew as the years went by. Thank you, Coach Grady, and Rest In Peace. 

Mr. Grady did not coach volleyball but he coached life for me.  He was like a father to me. He helped and guided me for sports, college, boys, life, challenges in high school and college and even in my career - everything!  He was always honest with me and though sometimes hard to hear- I always knew he had my best interest during his counsel.   I will miss him dearly. My thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time. You are my angel in heaven Mr. Grady. 💔💔💔

Thank you for all that you did for me. You were a great coach and great man.

“Mr. Grady” was a wonderful teacher at Buffalo Grove High School. But it wasn’t his ability to make math easy to comprehend that impacted me most. It was his passion, commitment and dedication to ensuring we had the life skills needed to thrive. He cared way more about how we were doing as people than about mastering Advanced Calculus. He welcomed us back at Homecoming to talk to his classes about what college was really like. No matter was scheduled that day, he wanted his kids to ask questions and learn about life beyond high school.  Paul Grady literally helped me survive high school but thrive in life. May his memory always be a blessing!

Mr. Grady is the reason I became a math teacher.  He was the first teacher to help me feel competent.  I would not be where I am today without his influence.  


The best teacher I ever had. Will always remember him and his ability to make Math easy.

OBITUARY

Paul Lee Grady

7 December, 1940 – 15 May, 2022

Phoenix Memorial Park & Mortuary

Show your support

Add a Memory

Share Obituary

Get Updates

Services