Grattan Whitehead Rowland, Jr.

Grattan Whitehead Rowland, Jr., age 85, of Dunwoody, Georgia, passed away peacefully at home on Sunday, January 15, 2023, after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s Disease. His family is deeply grateful to his faithful caregivers for the wonderful care they provided during his last years.

Grattan was born on May 26, 1937, to Clarice Mewborn Rowland and Grattan Whitehead Rowland, Sr. at Emory University Wesley Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. He is an eleventh-generation descendant of Priscilla Mullens Alden and John Alden. At age fourteen, Grattan was awarded his Eagle Scout badge at a Boy Scout Court of Honor. After graduating from Henry Grady High School in 1955, he earned a degree in industrial engineering at The Georgia Institute of Technology where he was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity and continued cross country track which he began running in high school.

After graduating from Georgia Tech in 1959, Grattan worked briefly for a construction company in Perry, Florida before serving in the Air Force Reserve from which he was honorably discharged in 1965. Following his active duty with the Air Force, he began his first job at Square D Company as a field engineer in 1960. That was the beginning of a forty-two-year career with the company now known as Schneider Electric. Grattan’s job took the family to eight locations in six states. He retired as a Global Project Manager in 2002 after having been involved with the construction of the Toyota assembly plant in Georgetown, Kentucky.

In 1962, Grattan met his future wife, Joan Jordan Rowland, at an organizational meeting for a Single Young Adults group at his church, First Presbyterian, in Raleigh, North Carolina. They were the first couple from that group to be married. Grattan proposed to Joan on his parents’ anniversary at his family’s presbyterian church, Druid Hills, in Atlanta. Their wedding was in her presbyterian church, White Memorial, in Raleigh. The church remained the center of their life together. Grattan and Joan were blessed with two children, Grattan III, and Catherine Elizabeth.

After retiring in 2002, Grattan enjoyed spending his time cheering on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, playing golf, scoring two holes in one, proving that it’s never too late, and attending the men’s group at Peachtree Presbyterian Church with his son, Grattan III, on Tuesday mornings.

Grattan was predeceased by his parents and by his brother, Clarence Leonard Rowland, II. He is survived by Joan, his wife of 59 years, his son and daughter-in-law Linda and Grattan Rowland, III of Dunwoody, his daughter and son-in-law Catherine and Kirk Liemohn of Johns Creek, Georgia, six grandchildren Ansley Rowland and Grattan Rowland, IV, Alden and Megan Liemohn, Dr. Christie Richardson (husband Brett), Nathan Sleigher (wife Liz), and two great-grandchildren Grace and Logan Sleigher, sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Jane and Dr. Bill Hubbard, and a swarm of outstanding nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at Peachtree Presbyterian Church, 3434 Roswell Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30305 on January 30, 2023, at 2 PM.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made to Peachtree Presbyterian Church, or to Capstone Hospice, 5550 Peachtree Parkway, Suite 150, Peachtree Corners, GA 30092, the Alzheimer’s Association, or to a charity of your choice.