Gerry Leigh Grimes
GERRY LEIGH GRIMES, 81, died Wednesday, March 5, 2025, in Norcross, GA. He was born
in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, son of Gerald Leigh and Rose Burris Grimes. He is survived
by his wife of almost 60 years, Daneille Griffin Grimes; his children, Sylvie Elise Lansdowne,
and Sarah Kathleen Wiggins (Todd); grandchildren, Harrison, Griffin, Preston, Logan Elyse;
his sister, Jane Ellen Grimes Roop (Jim) and his brother, Richard Alan Grimes (Janet); and
numerous nieces and nephews.
Mr. Grimes grew up in Oklahoma City, graduating from U.S. Grant Highschool in 1961. He
graduated with a B.S.E. in Civil Engineering from Oklahoma State University in 1966. At
O.S.U. he was president of his Phi Delta Theta fraternity.
He worked for the CECO Corporation, a Fortune 500 company, for 25 years in Chicago,
Atlanta and Oklahoma City. He started the concrete construction company, Etowah
Industries, Inc., building parking decks throughout the Atlanta area before retiring from
construction in 2009. In 2010 he rekindled his interest in watercolor arts and began
creating art and selling it at arts festivals across the state of Georgia. This love of watercolor
led him to teach numerous workshops and classes, bringing this love of art and creativity to
hundreds of people.
Gerry was a renaissance man. His hobbies were endless, including wood working,
photography, blue grass music, cooking, fishing, golf, travel and reading. He had a love of
sports of all types, but coaching and watching his kids and grandkids play sports was his
real passion. He never missed a game.
Gerry’s Christianity was his purpose in life and influenced everything he did. As an example
of Christian discipleship, he was a deacon, elder, teacher, and even leader of a traveling
youth choir. His Christian service and witness went above and beyond church
membership, touching countless lives.
He was a true force, and if you thought this was long…you should have heard one of his
stories.
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Mr. Gerry was a true gem and treasure who only reserved the word awesome for God. We are so sorry for his loss. Praying for your family.
Steve and I will always remember Gerry as an awesome teacher of God’s word. Also, playing basketball in our church league. His brother also played with our team. Gerry was a great man of God!
Our thoughts and prayers are with all of you! Wish we were closer so we could offer more support. Gerry was one of a kind and will be missed by many!
Love to all of you!
Gerry was such a wonderful man. I have known the family since high school. Gerry was such a funny and loving person. My family is praying for you all during this difficult time.
Dear Daneille and family, I am so saddened to learn about Gerry. We never met in person, but I am glad we were able to share artwork. He did such beautiful work and how wonderful that he shared his talents with so many – both through teaching and pieces ending in up homes across the country. Wishing you all strength and comfort.
GERRY GRIMES: The Man I Knew
This is the story of an ordinary man, his lovely wife, and their two young daughters. It tells how this man and his family, along with a bunch of ordinary kids, loved Jesus and were led by God on an amazing journey. It was the early ’70s; the Jesus Movement was still young. Church was very structured, and some would say formal, with Sunday-go-to-meeting clothes for Sunday School and Worship Services. Sunday evening Youth Group followed by Evening Service, Wednesday night Youth Group, Adult Bible Study followed by Adult Choir Practice. Our summers were filled with two-week-long daytime VBS and Red Rock Christian Service Camp in the A-frame cabins of Red Rock Canyon. During Christmas Break, we attended Winter Retreats held by Bob Stacy’s Christ In Youth at Davis Park Christian Church in Enid. There were Pot Luck luncheons, revivals, Ladies Days…
During that time, Gerry and his family came home to Oklahoma after living in the Atlanta, Georgia area. They joined Forest Hill Christian Church and began to settle in with our church family. Along the way, they became involved with the youth group; we began meeting in homes in a more relaxed setting, singing along with Gerry’s guitar and having Bible Study. Out of these informal meetings, an idea was born (I’m not sure who first voiced it) that a singing group would be formed from any junior high and senior high kids who would like to join. There were no tryouts, just the desire to make a joyful noise for the Lord (of course, you did have to come to practice and attend church regularly). We started with simple camp-type songs accompanied by Gerry’s guitar. We sang at area churches, dressed in coordinating outfits, adopted a name, and a theme song. Time went by; we graduated to a pianist, started putting together full narrated programs (everything was committed to memory), traveling to churches farther from home all across Oklahoma. We even took two different week-long trips, one to Atlanta in the summer of 1973 and the other to McAllen, Texas, in 1975, singing in churches all along the way. During all this time, Gerry was not only our youth leader but also our mentor, a sounding board, our friend. While he was fun-loving, he was also kind and didn’t put up with any shenanigans; he respected us, and in return, we respected him and learned to respect each other and how to get along with others. Power Company went on through the years while many of us moved on to college and our adult lives; as younger kids grew into our places, ending sometime in the late ’70s. Gerry, Danielle, and the girls returned to Atlanta in 1980.
Gerry, you are greatly missed here on earth by those of us who remain, but you have fought the good fight, finished your race, and remained faithful; your prize awaits you. Waiting to join you and those I love who have gone before me! I love you!