David Lee Grant

David Lee Grant passed away at the age of 82 on Saturday, December 31, 2022, in Banning, California. He is survived by his wife, Jacquie, his son and grandson, Derek and Kyle, his niece, Kimmer, his grandniece, Linzy, his sister, Sandie, her kids (his niece and nephew), Wendy and David, and his cousin, Stu. He is preceded in death by his parents, his son, Doug, and his brother-in-law, Bill. Son of Donald and Mozelle, Dave was born on Wednesday, October 16, 1940 in Kokomo, Indiana.

If you ask his wife, Jacquie, though, she will probably tell you his life really began when Dave’s family moved to Yakima where the two of them met as neighborhood friends, where she would win the Miss Yakima County crown, and where they would fall in love and get married.

After Dave graduated WSU with his bachelor’s degree in Commercial Food Science, he and Jacquie moved to Southern California where they spent their first couple of years working at the newly opened Disneyland while beginning their life together as well as meeting Walt Disney in person. They would make Southern California their permanent home, raising their two boys, Doug and Derek, while moving over the years from Huntington Beach to Mission Viejo and then to Ramona. During these years, Dave worked as a manager in the food science industry.

During the course of being a father, Dave redeemed what his son, Derek, implied to be unpalatable cooking skills, perfecting those skills to the level of gourmet chef much to everyone’s surprise and delight. Upon Dave’s retirement, he and Jacquie relocated to San Jacinto where he lived with her the remainder of his years even as he survived and lived with the effects of multiple back and cardiac surgeries. As a father, Dave was a good and present parent, taking his sons camping, participating in Indian Guides and Boy Scouts, teaching them a patience and appreciation for fishing, and a great love for the outdoors. To his remaining son, Derek, Dave’s example is one he continues to follow as a father himself. Dave was also deeply loved by his only grandson, Kyle, who called him Bebop. Dave extended himself to both family and friends. A chosen father to Sue, a cherished uncle to Kimmer, a dear, dear friend to Karen and Jim, Steve and Sharon, as well as many others. Beyond family and friends, Dave felt an intense patriotism, supporting the Wounded Warrior Project as an expression of the love he had for his country. He was an ardent reader of crime fiction, a passionate conversationalist about politics, a man growing in his Christian faith over years and decades. He began most mornings with a cup of coffee and the bible. The last few years of his life, he devoted his time to caring for his wife, Jacquie, who is deeply affected by advanced dementia. He would often leave her handwritten notes taped to walls and doors and furniture, always signed “Love, Me”.

To friends and family and the occasional passers-by, Dave leaves a lasting symbol of his time spent here on earth: his craftsmanship. His stunning creations of woodwork and welding not only stand in and around his home, they also adorn the homes and gardens of others to whom he dedicated these beautiful, hand-made gifts. In the end, Dave passed away peacefully from a short illness, welcomed into the loving arms of his savior, Jesus Christ. Because he insisted on not having a memorial or funeral service, Dave was cremated, his ashes to be scattered in the desert and beach during private family ceremonies. In lieu of flowers, please feel free to continue and extend Dave’s support for the Wounded Warrior Project at woundedwarriorproject.org.