Obituary of Thomas Gerald Grant

With gratitude for a lifetime of memories, the family of Thomas "Tom" G. Grant, husband of the late Janice (Patterson) Grant, announces his passing, which occurred on Friday, November 2, 2018 at the Saint John Regional Hospital. Born in Saint John on October 21, 1935, he was a son of the late Thomas and Rita (Stevens) Grant. Tom was a fixture at the Saint John Airport for 35 years with TCA, then Air Canada. He enjoyed 27 years as a retiree, taking up new positions as marine manager, seasonal neighbourhood lawn-care provider, and snow removal engineer. When Tom said stop the car for a shiny object in the road, little did we know he was the precursor of the "reduce, reuse, recycle" movement. Tom was the self-appointed operator of the Treadwell Lake boat and fishing tours, which were at 6pm sharp. Besides his own children and grandchildren, he taught half the neighbourhood how to row, sail, or run a powerboat. The first one in the lake every year got a prize – inspiring some young swimmers to be on ice. An avid outdoor sportsman, he was willing to take on and teach all newcomers at any stage of life. Tom was always willing to help his family, work or community – whether it be mentoring a family member, someone at work or a wayward neighbourhood teen. His favourite location was a duck blind in the first calls of fall with friends, sons, and even mentored a few neighbourhood boys to take up the call. Hockey was his other passion, as both a player in his younger years, and a die-hard fan of the NHL in his later years. Many young men, from sons and grandsons, to kids from around the community got to enjoy watching and betting on games with him. Tom was also a self-appointed driving instructor for anyone who asked, starting with the lawn tractor (usually around age 5) to cars (usually around age 10). He forgot to teach parallel parking to at least one, but did always remember to teach the "deer jackers turn", as that was a vital skill for driving. Tom will be missed by his sons: Douglas (Patricia) and Brent (Georgina); grandchildren, Sara, Shannon, Sonya, Thomas, Jacqueline and Sabrina; great-grandchildren, Tyler, Tori, Jolene, Audrey, Simon, Havelock and Novali; his siblings, Frank, Cecil, Louie, Ricky and Sandra; as well as many nieces, nephews, friends, and everyone he taught through the years and treated like his own children. In addition to his parents and wife, Tom was predeceased by two sisters, Norma and Abby. Arrangements are under the care of Brenan’s Funeral Home, 111 Paradise Row, Saint John, New Brunswick (634-7424). A celebration of Tom’s life will be held on Tuesday, November 6, 2018 at 10:00 am from Brenan’s Funeral Home Chapel. For those who wish, remembrances may be made to a charity of the donor’s choice. Online condolences may be placed at www.BrenansFH.com