Gordon E. Grady, 94, a longtime resident of Salem, Mass., most recently of Brooksby Village, Peabody, died Thursday, May 10, 2012, at the Renaissance Gardens at Brooksby.
A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 16, at the Grace Church, 385 Essex St., Salem, Mass. Visitation will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, June 15, at the Murphy Funeral Home, 85 Federal St. (corner of North St.), Salem. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. Interment will be in the Puritan Lawn Memorial Park, Peabody, Mass.
Born and raised in Southern Pines, he was the loving husband of Pauline (Boyer) Grady and son of the late Russell L. and Alice V. (Harris) Grady. He attended local schools, graduating from West Southern Pines Colored High School in 1934. Mr. Grady received his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in 1940 from the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical College (NCA&T) and his master’s degree in electrical engineering in 1958 from the University of Pennsylvania.
Mr Grady first taught at his high school alma mater until becoming employed at the Norfolk Navy Yard in Virginia as a first class electrician. He later transferred to the Pennsylvania Navy Yard Materials Center as an electrical engineer. Following this, Mr. Grady was employed with the General Electric Space Environmental Test Facility in King of Prussia, Pa., as an assistant test engineer until 1969, when the first man walked on the moon.
Mr. Grady then transferred to the General Electric Aircraft Division at the Riverworks facility in Lynn, Mass., working as an electrical engineer until retiring in 1983. He was a professor in the continuing education departments of Penn State in King of Prussia, Pa., Salem State University, Salem, Mass., and North Shore Community College in Salem.
Mr. Grady was involved in his community in many ways, but outside his family, nothing was more important than his church. He was a leader at the Grace Episcopal Church in Salem, holding several offices over the years. The parish is indebted to him for the service he offered in God’s name.
Mr. Grady was also recognized by the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts for his commitment and the value of his input, as he was involved in several diocesan capacities over the years.
In the local community, Mr. Grady was a member of the Elfun Society at General Electric, and the Institute of Environmental Sciences at the local and national level, having held the position of vice president. Mayor Samuel Zoll and the city of Salem recognized him as a strong civic leader and advocate, and appointed him to the position of head of human rights.
As a former president of the Salem Chapter of AARP and a volunteer for more than 20 years at the ambulatory care and information desk of North Shore Medical Center and on the advisory board of the North Shore Elder Services, Mr. Grady served his community well.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by three children, Gloria (Grady) Hertz and her husband, Caleb, of Fort Washington, Md., Paula (Grady) Ferguson, of Marietta, Ga., and Gordon Grady II, of Beverly, Mass.; six grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; and five nieces, six nephews and multiple cousins.
Mr. Grady was predeceased by his first wife, Elsie (Harris) Grady; and five brothers, Russell Jr., Augustine, Walter, Oliver and John Grady; and two sisters, Nettie Royal and Roberta Grady.
Memorial donations may be made to Grace Episcopal Church, 385 Essex St., Salem, MA 01970. Online condolences may be made at www.Murphy FuneralHome.com.