- Date Of Birth: October 9, 1934
- Date Of Death: March 27, 2021
- State: Colorado
James (Jim) Richard Grant, born October 9, 1934, died peacefully at Porter Hospice Residence March 27, 2021 due to complications from laryngeal cancer. He was 86 years old.
Jim was born into a hard-working farm family at Porters Hospital in Denver, CO. He was the youngest son of Leonard Grant and Ruth Alice Grant. He had two older half-siblings, Glenn (born 1917) and Evelynn (born 1919), and one older full-brother Paul (born 1931) Jim spent his childhood caring for animals and tending the land on his family’s 960-acre farm. The Grant Farm was located in the area that is now Centennial, with the main home sitting at the intersection of University and Arapahoe Road. The family grew a variety of crops and livestock, primarily during World War II, and into the mid 1950’s. Jim loved the farm life and would share his stories of the work, animals, and people with his family throughout the years. When Jim was 6 months old, his mother passed away from an infection. Jim was three years old when his father married Addie E Grant, who became a loving mother and caregiver for the family.
Jim graduated from Littleton High School in 1952. He met his future wife, Joyce Elaine LeFurge, shortly after graduation on a blind date. The pair married on December 19,1953. They lived in a small house in what is now DeKoevend Park on the family farm. The pair welcomed their first child, Leonard in 1954. The family sold the farm home and surrounding land in 1957 due to low profits and the compounding drought conditions. Jim and Joyce moved to Englewood, and he went to work for Arapahoe County Road and Bridge. After moving, Jim and Joyce welcomed two more children, David (born 1957) and Helen (born 1959). The family moved to their forever home in Littleton, CO in 1961. Jim worked his way up at the county and was promoted to Road Superintendent in 1978. He worked hard building the roads of a growing Littleton and retired after serving 47 years. Jim was an experienced heavy equipment operator and was able to handle a variety of machinery. Jim was only one of a few people in the state that could operate a Dragline Excavator. He was responsible for digging the lake at Centennial Park at South Federal and Union.
Jim enjoyed trap shooting and photography. Every vacation, birthday, or special event Jim had a camera in his hands. He and Joyce loved to take road trips to Branson, MO and to drive to see the landscapes at Garden of the Gods. The pair enjoyed going to the movies together.
Jim lost his beloved Joyce to Rheumatoid Arthritis in 2011 and spent the remaining years of his life living independently with the assistance of his children and grandchildren.
Jim is survived by sons Leonard (Gloria) and David (Gwen) Grant, and daughter Helen (Mike) Bolster, his six grandchildren, and his seven great-grandchildren. He was loved and will be remembered by his family and friends.
