Gary Nyal Grissom went to be with his Lord and Savior on January 27, 2019, after a twenty-nine year battle with Parkinson’s disease. He fought bravely with amazing courage, determination, and humor and he is finally free from his diseased body.
“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isiah 40:31
Gary was born March 4, 1947, to John Rolan and Nora Lorene Todd Grissom in Dallas, Texas. He grew up in the Lake Highlands area where he attended Dallas Christian Academy and Bryan Adams High School. At the age of 16, he began working at the Dallas-Garland Airport to pay for flying lessons and soloed that same year. He became a licensed Aircraft and Power Frame Mechanic. In 1973, he went to work for Mobil Oil as a mechanic. Gary was promoted from mechanic to flying pipeline patrol and then to Captain flying corporate jets. His career ended when he grounded himself due to the severity of Parkinson’s tremors in 1992.
During the time Gary was working for Mobil Oil he was asked to build a bi-wing plane called the Christen Eagle II with another pilot. The plane required 2,100 hours of construction time and was featured in the March 1988 issue of Kitplanes and is still flying today.
If ever a man was born to be a pilot it was Gary. Every time he heard a plane fly over his eyes would turn to the sky and he could tell you what kind of plane it was and most of the time what engine was in it.
After Gary’s aviation career ended, he became very accomplished in building furniture for his home and the pulpit of the church he attended. He built the communion table and floor to ceiling bookcases for the pastor’s study. Gary also learned to carve duck decoys before the Parkinson’s tremors forced him to stop woodworking.
Gary enjoyed boating, water skiing, hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, and most of all Colorado. Many vacations were spent traveling Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Arizona making wonderful memories. His fondest memory he loved to talk about the most about was hiking to the bottom of the Grand Canyon in one day with his sons Shannon and Kevin.
Those left to cherish his memory are his loving wife of 33 years, Gaye, of McKinney, Texas; sons, Shannon Grissom and wife, Cheryl of McKinney, Texas, Kevin Grissom and wife, Lindsey of Prosper, Texas, Paul Schrodt and wife, Danielle of Midlothian, Texas and Jonathan Schrodt and wife, Istamoy of Midlothian, Texas; daughter, Karyn Johosky and husband, Tim of Arlington, Texas; fourteen grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; and brother, Bruce Grissom and wife Cindy of Dallas, Texas.
He was preceded in death by his parents, John and Nora Grissom.
The family wishes to sincerely thank Careplus Hospice, Visiting Angels, and No Place Like Home Hospice for their kindness, compassion, and loving care for Gary during the last months of his life.
A celebration of life will be held at 12:00 noon, Thursday, January 31, 2019 at Crosspoint Church in McKinney, Texas. The family will receive friends during a visitation on Wednesday evening from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home Chapel in Allen, Texas. A private family burial will be held at Pilot Grove Cemetery in Whitewright, Texas. A reception is to follow at the church.
Memorial donations in Gary’s memory may be made; Dallas Area Parkinsonism Society, 6370 LBJ Freeway Suite 170, Dallas, Texas 75240 https://daps.us or Parkinson Voice Project, 646 N. Coit Road, Suite 2250, Richardson, Texas 75080 https://www.parkinsonvoiceproject.org/Donate .
“For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you will long to return.” ~ Leonardo Di Vinci~