Harry Chet Grandy Obituary (1937 - 2019)

The Celebration Of Life for Chet & Billie Grandy, who exited this earth 11/1/2019 and 10/18/2019, respectively, will begin at 10am on Monday, October 24, 2022 at Murray City Cemetery (5490 S Vine St, Salt Lake City, UT 84107). Take the North entrance off of Vine Street. The memorial at the gravesite will last about 45 minutes. The Celebration will continue at the Mid-Valley Performing Arts Center. We will all drive there together, but the address is 2525 Taylorsville Blvd, Taylorsville, UT 84129. We will enjoy a dance performance by RDT of Something About Night, followed by lunch (at noon) and extended hobnobbing (To hobnob means to chat and share a laugh and (possibly) a drink in the presence of other people at a function ~ We love this word, this is its context here). Please RSVP by October 7th as the caterers need a count for food. Thank you! RSVP by email @ jody4parents@gmail.com or text/message @ (801)-557-4051 ☮️ Our hope, is that during lunch, several of you sweeties will want to share some tidbits about this couple who were nature loving, involved, adventurers, snoopy, perpetually late and our parents. We would love to see you for dinner at La Costa Mexican Restaurant (889 E 9400 S, Sandy, UT 84094) at 5pm. We have reserved their screened in (and warmed) patio for privacy. If you decide to eat and/or drink, it’ll be pay your own way, we just wanted the opportunity to hobnob some more. Much love and light, Jeff and Jody Chet Grandy joined his recently departed wife on Friday, November 1, 2019. They were apart a mere two weeks, when he fell and did not recuperate. Chet and Billie rarely spent much time apart during their marriage of 61 years. Chet was born on February 8, 1937 in Salt Lake City to Harry Irvin Grandy and Genevieve Mayne Anderson Grandy. He was the oldest of two children, his sister is Kathy. Additional important dates are noted below. Chet enjoyed an amazing childhood, which probably led to his lifelong ease with play and making everything as fun as possible. He began skiing during his very young years (in McCall, Idaho), when they would catch a bus after school and ski several times a week. He was an athlete of talent and accumulated several trophies and even a silver bowl and platter. He competed in the Alta Gelande Ski Jump contest. When his kids were a bit older, he taught ski lessons at Solitude Ski Resort every Saturday (after a 40 hour work week at Hercules Aerospace Company), then would take his family up on Sundays to ski and enjoy the beautiful mountains. He successfully passed his love of nature and skiing on down the line, and skied with his grandkids for many years. Even up to 5 years ago. Chet met his life partner at Westminster College, where he and Billie began their extensive traveling habit while touring with the Westminster Choir. Singing remained one of Chet’s favorite things to do which made plenty of us happy as his voice was beautiful. A few of his musical highlights include— participating in a Barbershop Quartet, the Episcopal Church Choir, Toastmaster Comedy and attending Salt Lake Music Together with his grandchildren, where he always sang the most amazing harmonies. Having a lovely voice is just one of Chet’s talents. Being an artist was in his blood and this manifested in various ways. He was the ‘go to’ guy for homework help that involved poetry, valentine boxes, dioramas, etc. Many years later, once he and Billie had snooped around numerous sights of petroglyphs and Indian artifacts, he was inspired to draw Kokopelli and other creatures on clothing, trivets, magnets and drinking mugs. Thankfully we still cherish those items today. Animals were another important aspect of Chet’s existence. It’s fair to say that their entire plethora of fish, a turtle, birds, cats and dogs loved Chet more than any other human. He was a caretaker at heart and animals and humans alike benefitted from his presence. The Grandy’s were quite the volunteers, enriching their own life along with the lives of so many others. One of their first volunteer gigs, manning the water station at the top of ‘seven sisters’ in Little Cottonwood Canyon for the annual road bike race, was a frustrating one. They would have all those little cups filled with water and set out for the racers who could not beat the wind which whipped all those cups off the side of the road down into the river :-). This did not squelch their love of volunteering and Chet became a Dosent for the Hogle Zoo. This allowed him to bring an armadillo and a boa constrictor out to his grandchildren’s pre-school, give neat interactive demonstrations that included many animals that children could touch (gently!) and Chet & Billie were allowed to spend time with various birds and such who needed extra attention and support at the zoo. The Utah Symphony received much benefit from their love of volunteering as well. Chet’s marriage to Billie took place on Tuesday, September 2, 1958 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. Their union remained strong while exploring life, thru the sad times and the great times, thru sickness and in health~they have an incredible bond. This sentence is plagiarized from Billie’s obituary as it bears repeating...They were adventuresome parents, grandparents and great-grandparents, who rarely missed a chance to enjoy, support and celebrate life. And still ~ we are lovin’ on Ashley (wonderful hospice nurse), the whole team at Canyon Creek, Jenkins-Soffe Mortuary and Rosemary & Her Ladies. Chet was preceded in death by his wife, Billie (who left only 2 weeks ago) and their lovely daughter, Kim (who left this earth 43 long years ago). Chet is survived by his children Jody Withers (Ty) and Jeff (Sherri), their grandchildren Delainy & Sophia Withers and Teisha Bruin (Mike), their great-grandchildren Breanne & Michael Bruin and his sibling Kathy (Eric) Cutbirth and family. Chet and Billie’s Celebration of Life will take place near Salt Lake City this June. Exact location and date still to be determined. If you’d like to be contacted regarding their Celebration of Life, please email jody4parents@gmail.com and you’ll be added to the list. Alternately, please check back here for an update, or www.jenkins-soffe.com. In lieu of flowers at this time (we’d love flowers at their Celebration of Life), please leave a favorite memory or comment on the ‘tribute wall’ so all may enjoy.