Wiley George Grantham

     Wiley G. Grantham passed into eternal life with his beloved daughter by his side, Saturday, July 18. Wiley was born July 6, 1941, the son of Herbert G. Grantham and Bonnie Marie (Knauff) Grantham in San Pedro, California. As the son of a career naval officer, he lived in South Carolina, Florida, Ohio, North Carolina and Virginia before beginning high school in Charleston, SC. He graduated from North Charleston High School in 1959
where he participated in football, basketball, track and was a National Merit Finalist. He obtained a presidential appointment to the U. S. Naval
Academy, graduating in 1963 and beginning a 20 year career as a U. S.naval officer. In 1964 he married Ellen with whom he shared his life for the
next 55 years. While in the navy, he attended the University of Miami where he received his masters degree in oceanographic engineering in
1970. Of his numerous naval assignments, he was most proud of his command of North Base on Grand Turk Island which was part of the
Sound Surveillance System, an underwater listening system which tracked Soviet submarines. He retired from the navy in 1983 and began work with Sperry-Unisys which took him to Ventura, California. After 18 years on the West Coast, he returned to Florida in 2005, making Gainesville his homefor the remainder of his life.

     After retirement he devoted much of his life to the Episcopal Church, becoming a mentor for the Education for Ministry (EFM), administered as a four year, college level course by the Episcopal Seminary in Sewanee, TN. The program was for Christians who were interested in developing or improving their lay ministry. He developed many deep friendships and impacted many lives as he served in this role for 15 years. 

     Wiley, or “Stoney” as he was known by his birth family, enjoyed country music, especially Hank Williams and Willie Nelson, and sports of all kinds, remaining a Navy fan throughout his life and adopting the Gators as his second favorite team after moving to Gainesville. In addition to playing golf for much of his life, he particularly enjoyed table and computer games, the more complicated the better. Wiley was a gifted writer and poet, having won a navy wide, yearly, poetry contest, not once but twice. He had a sharp wit and loved silly pranks until his very last days.

     He is survived by his wife, Ellen, his daughter and her husband, four grandchildren, sister Mary Grantham Thompson of Naples, FL, and brother
Herbert Galen Grantham (Stephanie) of Mount Pleasant, SC as well as numerous nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his parents, sister
Jean Grantham, and infant daughter, Barbara.