Lawrence Harvey Grant
Lawrence Harvey Grant
Lawrence Harvey Grant, 1933 – 2012
Lawrence (Larry) Grant,
beloved husband, father, grandfather, local educator and committed Christian,
was called home by his Lord Jesus on Wednesday, August 8, 2012 while at a local
care center in Boise, Idaho, at the age of 79.
Larry was born in Peoria,
Illinois on May 8, 1933 to Lawrence Minor Grant and Ethel Amanda Behrens. As the older of two children, he enjoyed the
mutual love, affection and devotion of his younger sister, Bev, for his entire
life. He grew up and attended school in
the Peoria area, completing a pre-med degree and ROTC program at Bradley
University in 1954, followed by a BS in Medicine from the University of
Illinois in 1958, finally adding teaching credentials from Bradley University
in 1959.
Larry met and married his
wife of nearly 56 years, Ruth Bisco, of Creve Coeur, Il in 1956, and after
teaching in the Peoria area for several years, they made their way west to
Idaho in 1965, first to Mountain Home, and then settling in Boise in 1967,
where Larry continued his extensive career in teaching grade school and junior
high school students in math and sciences.
Larry taught at various Treasure Valley schools from 1966 to 2007,
including Washington and Whitney Elementary, Nampa Christian, Cole Christian
and Foundations Academy/The Ambrose School, as well as tutoring many students
in his home garage science laboratory.
His inquisitive mind and zest for scientific process were easily
transferred to many young persons, some of whom later brought their own
children to him for math and science tutoring.
Larry’s life work was
focused on his family – his wife, his two children, seven grandchildren, and
later in life, his five great grandchildren.
Ruth was clearly his first priority and the love of his life. Their 50
th
anniversary celebration in 2006 included a special gathering of family and
close friends. Their loving and loyal relationship provided a solid legacy for
family members, demonstrating a clear example of true Christian love,
especially during the recent years with Larry’s decline in health.
Larry introduced his kids
and grandkids to many of his favorite activities, like hunting and hunter’s
education, fishing, camping, firearms and gun safety, judo, self-defense, and
cross-country skiing. His keen appreciation for how to conduct any and all
activities in the safest of manners was legendary. He enjoyed flashlights and
generously provided them to many friends in need to light their way. Airplanes
were another area of great interest, especially since Larry’s father had been a
pilot.
Larry had a servant’s
heart. He avoided the spotlight and preferred to quietly work in the
background. Larry collected friends through his listening ear and compassionate
and gentle spirit. He loved asking
people questions about their area of expertise and carried paper and pen to
take notes on all information gathered. His interest in others’ eternal
security prompted him to carry Bible tracts and speak a word of hope to those
he met about his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
His musical interest was rooted in hymns that looked forward to Christ’s
Kingdom.
But Larry’s special love
was his grandchildren. He welcomed each of them with love and nurturing, never
batting an eye at diaper changing or rocking a baby to sleep. He could play
with them for hours and enjoyed taking them for educational outings, especially
if it included ice cream. As they grew,
he joined in on their life events and sports activities, as he was able. His greatest joy was being present at family
gatherings and just feeling the love.
We rejoice that Larry is
with the Lord and enjoying all the delights of Heaven… this earth was truly
only temporary for him. We imagine him behind the wheel of a shiny new Ford
F-250 Crew Cab, listening to hymns at high volume, waiting for all of us to
join him!
He is survived by his wife,
Ruth; two children, David Grant and Valerie Grant MacMahon (Bruce); his sister,
Beverly Burnham (Jon); his seven grandchildren, James Grant, Shawna Grant
Hilliard, Caitlan MacMahon, Bryant MacMahon, Connor MacMahon, Hannah MacMahon
and Maggie MacMahon; and five great-grandchildren.
A memorial service to
celebrate Larry’s life will be held at The Summit Church, 10375 W. Overland
Road, Boise, ID at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, August 13, 2012.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Lawrence Harvey Grant, please visit our flower store.
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