James Ivy Grantham

Jim was born and raised in Brownsville, TN, on a cotton and cattle farm. He was given cattle by his Papa, Rufus, for his 18th birthday. He bred them to pay for two of the most important events in his life – his attendance at Auburn University, and his marriage to Rosa Lee Walker. Jim was an ardent fan of Auburn, where he joined the ROTC and became a Naval Lieutenant upon graduation in 1958. He was stationed in Norfolk, VA, where he met and married the love of his life, Rosa, in 1959. They soon moved to Troy, NY, for Jim to complete a Master’s degree in Engineering at Rensselear Polytechnic Institute. It was there that they had their first child, Debra Jean. They then relocated to Owensboro, KY, where their second child, Kia Lynn, was born. Before moving to Raleigh in 1973, they lived in Kettering, OH, where their son, James I. Grantham, II, was born in 1971.

Jim was a very successful entrepreneur and businessman. He started his own company, Certek, Inc. in 1979, installing high tech laboratory buildings and equipment for air filtration. He invented and received a patent for a biosafety device that sterilizes laboratories and is currently being used for COVID-19 research in several laboratories.

Jim is survived by his wife of 62 years, Rosa, and their three children: Debra lives in Durham, and is married to Richard Cowart; Kia lives in Winterville, NC, and is married to Rick Glosson; James lives in Raleigh; four grandchildren: Jacob Cowart, Breanna Glosson, Morgan Glosson and wife Sarah-Anne, and Gabriel Glosson; great grandchildren, Claire and Jill Glosson. In addition to his parents, Jim was preceded in death by his older brother, William.

A funeral service was held on Saturday, November 20, 2021, in the Chapel of Mitchell Funeral Home, Raleigh. Entombment with military honors followed in the Mausoleum of Raleigh Memorial Park. Pallbearers were Jacob Cowart, Richard Cowart, Gabriel Glosson, Morgan Glosson, Rick Glosson, and Timothy Jackson.

In lieu of flowers, the family request donations in Jim’s name be directed to Asbury Church, please use the link below under 'DONATIONS".

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