Thomas Grady

Thomas Richard Grady led a life full of curiosity and devotion. He was born to Marianne Mercier and Frank A. Grady June 18, 1937 on the west side of Detroit, Michigan. He has two surviving sisters, Gloria Washington and Rosemary Leszczynski, and had a brother, Frank, who preceded him in death. Tom attended University of Detroit High School and then went on to Annapolis Naval Academy for one year before deciding that his true calling was as a priest in the Catholic Church. The six years of his priestly ministry were spent at St. Jude's Parish in Detroit. Tom focused on social justice, peace, and inner-city youth ministry. He often proved too forward-thinking for the Catholic Church and in 1969 left the active priesthood into his next set of adventures.
That same year he was appointed to the City of Detroit's drug treatment program, a challenging job that he enjoyed. He moved on to teach college courses at Wayne State University for a time. He also taught in the Royal Oak School system for five years in a co-op program, leading a group of high school students to build homes from start to finish. Always a forward thinker, in the 1970s Tom started a new business in solar power and alternative energy sources. At that time he also married his first wife, Suzanne Lareau, and had his children, Colleen and Michael. Many a family vacation included stop-offs at the local wind-generation plants. In the 1980s he developed a specialty in computer room installations, which was fruitful until computers no longer needed their own rooms. He was licensed as an electrical, heating, and general contractor and continued to build in a variety of capacities until his retirement. In 2009 Tom moved with his beloved wife Julie Weber to Brevard, NC. He was widowed a year later but continued to enjoy his new friends, the mild weather, and Carolina blue skies until his death.
He was most proud and committed to his family: Colleen Grady Porter, Michael Thomas Grady, and a young grandson, Benjamin Thomas Porter. He is well-loved by his many nieces and nephews, as well as many friends. Memorial Mass Saturday, February 8, at 12:00 Noon at St. James Catholic Church, 241 Pearson, Ferndale, Michigan 48220. Memorials to Focus Hope appreciated.