Willard "Whiz" Grimsley

Willard R. “Whiz” Grimsley

Age 82, of Canton, passed away Tuesday, March 21, 2017, surrounded by all his loving family.  He was born in Lafferty, OH, a son of the late Daniel Dewey and Una M. (Beal) Grimsley, Sr., and lived in the same house he lived in when he came to Canton 77 years ago, and he had done extensive remodeling over the years.  Whiz was a 1953 graduate of McKinley High School, where he played football, and was Captain of the 1952 team, and was named to the All-City and All-County Teams.  At the banquet that year, Jim Muzzy of WHBC said he was the toughest and best defensive player he had ever seen.  Whiz was a retired self-employed contractor.  Whiz was honored by induction into the McKinley Football Hall of Fame in 1995.  He was a member of the McKinley Booster Club and the Meyers Lake YMCA.  He obviously followed McKinley but also the Fairless Falcons because his grandchildren played there, and his passion was following all his grandchildren in all of their sporting events and in whatever they were involved.  Whiz enjoyed going to Amish Country, and gardening and planting flowers all around their home.  Besides his parents, Whiz was preceded in death by a son, John Grimsley, on Feb. 5, 2008, one sister and four brothers, Mary Mathieu, Dan D., Jr, Robert, Dick, and Hubert Grimsley.  He is survived by his wife, Glenda E. (Goss) Grimsley, with whom he would have celebrated their 62nd Wedding Anniversary on June 25th; three daughters, Kim Baldwin, Jolene (Jeff) Neilson, and Kristin (Scott) Kirby; four sons, Will “Popper” (Kim) Grimsley, Ed Grimsley, Doug (Jamie) Grimsley, and Dan (Mary) Grimsley; 21 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren; one sister, Roberta Geiselman, and one brother, Ronald “Ike” (Nancy) Grimsley.  A Memorial Mass will be held Friday at 10 a.m. in St. Peters Catholic Church with Fr. Edward Beneleit as Celebrant.  The family will receive friends at the Meyers Lake Ballroom and Banquet Hall, 3218 Parkway St. NW, Canton, immediately following the Mass.  The Formet-Clevenger & Gordon Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.  Condolences may be sent to: www.gordonfuneralhomes.com

Gordon (330) 456-4766

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