Vern Arthur Grindy, 81, of Gilchrist, OR passed away on New Years Day, 2022 of natural causes, 2 months after an extended hospital stay with Covid 19. Vern was born on July 19, 1940 to Marshall and Verna Grindy in Sauk Centre, MN.

Vern lived a full and active life. He always said, he wasn't going to wait until retirement to enjoy his life, which probably stemmed from his first career in life insurance. We know he had friends & clients pass away young as well as being the first person on scene of an airplane crash in which most if not all of the passengers perished. 

 After high school Vern enlisted in the Air Force and was trained as a radar operator. His first duty station was on Hokkaidō (northern Japan) in 1958-1959.  He was then stationed at Camp Adair, north of Corvallis, OR working at a little known radar site tracking Russian aircraft on the West Coast. He fulfilled his enlistment at Adair and then served in the reserves for a few more years. 

The Willamette Valley was outdoor meca to Vern who grew up hunting and fishing. When he arrived at Camp Adair and saw all of the Pheasant, he soon went back into town and bought a shotgun, that he hid in his bunk since it was against regulations. 

It was in the Corvallis/Albany area that he met Peggy Opsal from Albany, whom he married in 1962. They had two sons, Eric Grindy and Brian Grindy. He raised his sons hunting, fishing, crabbing, and playing sports in Oregon. The 60s were a busy decade for Vern. In addition to marrying and having kids, he bought his first house, earned his private pilot license, bought a plane, became a licensed insurance salesman for which he was recognized with numerous awards,  and became serious about his golf game, his greatest passion. If he could have been on the PGA tour, he would have. He played a minimum of one day a week until recently, and had the opportunity to play some of the great courses around the country over his 50-60 year golfing career. He even built clubs for himself, friends and family over the last 2-3 decades. The 70s were a continuation of the 60s with the addition of serving on the Albany Public Schools Board, and President of the Optimist Club, annual duck hunting trips to Summer Lake and coaching the boys in sports. A bigger boat afforded weekends in Newport, OR crabbing and salmon fishing, 

In 1983 Vern and Peggy divorced and Vern moved to San Jose, CA and joined his father, brother and sister-in-law at Grindy Tax Service, a tax and bookkeeping firm started by his father in 1941 which is in business today,  operated by a 3rd generation of Grindy's.  After a few of years in San Jose, Vern resurected Grindy Tax Service in Santa Cruz, where he lived and worked until retiring in Gilchrist, Oregon in 2012. Ironically, his tax office address in Santa Cruz was "1040" 41st Ave. He made great friends in Santa Cruz, had his brothers Elvin and Dan, sister RoseMarie and his father nearby, fished, golfed and boated, and had a second marriage to Kim for 7 years while in Santa Cruz. SanJose/Santa Cruz was a highlight chapter in Vern's life.  

South/central Oregon was his favorite area in Oregon (along with low Klamath County taxes) where he thoroughly enjoyed his retirement; tipping beers with green olives at the local tavern solving world problems, enjoying friends, golfing at Quail Run and fishing some of his favorite lakes, especially Diamond and Paulina.

Vern was predeceased by his parents, brothers Dan, Elvin, and Marshall Stanley Jr. He is survived by his sons Eric (Shannon) and Brian, grandchildren, Morgan, Nicole, Blayne, Garrett, step-sister RoseMarie Goff, and adoptive-sisters Nancy Bulow and Janet Grindy and seven nieces and nephews. The family requests that all notes are sent in care of Eric Grindy, 3563 Sunwood Ct. Lake Oswego, OR 97035. All are welcome to a 30 minute (military precision) funeral/memorial at 1:00 PM, Friday, February 18, 2022 at Willamette National Cemetery, 1800 SE Mt Scott Blvd, Happy Valley, OR 97086. After the service his cremated remains will be interred in the mausoleum at Willamette National (immediate family only to witness interrement per Willamette National Cemetery policy).  

Send to someone

Share this obituary with others

https://everloved.com/life-of/vern-grindy/obituary/

Copy