Jacques O. Grant

Jacques O. Grant, 85, passed away May 31, 2014. Cherished father of Jacques Jr., Jo Lynn, and Jason. Dear brother of 12. Beloved grandfather of Jacqueline, Jason and Joey. WWII US Army Veteran. Photographer, golf instructor, pilot, and friend of many. MEMORIAL SERVICE Thursday at 5pm at Heights Christian Church, 17300 Van Aken Blvd. Shaker Heights. Interment PRIVATE.

Jacques Grant, amongst all things, would be referred to as a “survivor” and one who touched many lives in the City of Cleveland.

Jacques was born on March 29, 1929 in Eufaula, Alabama as the eldest of thirteen children of Nettie Grant. With the apparent needs of a large family, he sacrificed his childhood pleasures to earn money to contribute to the household. In 1950 he signed himself into the Armed Forces to serve in Texas. A sterilizer boiler explosion led to a collapsed lung, which permanently disabled him.

In 1960 he became a licensed pilot through the Federal Aviation Agency. He purchased a Cessna and was retained by the City of Cleveland to provide aerial photography to assist in the layout of parks and golf courses.

In 1960 he married his college sweetheart, Dr. Jacqueline Guinn, from his days at Talladega College in Alabama. On their first date he invited her for a Boston Cooler. Unbeknownst to her, she was taken to the airstrip and flown to Boston. Their union resulted in three children: Jacques, Jo Lynn and Jason.

An entrepreneur at heart, he went on to simultaneously initiate two successful businesses; Jacques’ Photographic Arts and Golf Swing Pro (for which he won the award for the Best Golf Instruction in Beachwood in 1999). As a golf instructor, he was among the first to utilize video to segment a golf swing into frames to be analyzed. Some of his students included Jim Brown, Austin Carr and Bingo Smith.

Jacques’ thirst for knowledge led him to attain three separate degrees from Talladega College, Case Western Reserve University and Tri-C. In his sixties, while at Tri-C, he pursued his lifelong interest in Plant Science Technology. His goal was to set up a system for maintenance free living for senior citizens utilizing high intensity energy from the sun, earth and wind. He graduated summa cum laude.As a father, he instilled a strong sense of self worth in his children. He also taught them there were no boundaries to their potential and that knowledge was the key to success.

He was also known to state; ”if you are ten minutes early you are already five minutes late.” This is reflective of his belief that all success depends on the wise utilization of time. Jacques’ time was used wisely.

Memorial donations can be directed to scholarships for students in the Plant Science and Landscape Technology Program at Cuyahoga Community College.

Checks should be made payable to: Tri-C Foundation

700 Carnegie Avenue Cleveland, Ohio 44115