John G. Grant

John Gregor Grant, 87, of Watervliet, NY passed away peacefully at home on August 5, 2026, after an extended illness. In his remaining days, he was surrounded by his loving family and those who cared for him at the end of his life.

John was born March 6, 1939, at the Polyclinic Hospital in New York, NY to the late John G. Grant and Dora Kathryn (Bell) Grant. He grew up in NYC and graduated from the High School of Commerce in June 1956. His father was the Assistant Manager of the historic Commodore Hotel (Hyatt Grand Central New York) and retired shortly after John graduated from high school. He moved with his mother and father to Shokan, NY.

John served a Sargent in the United States Army Reserve (Fort Drum) from 1962 until he was honorably discharged in 1968.

He met his soul mate and partner in life, Marianne, in 1962 at the Woodstock Lanes bowling alley. They were life-long bowlers up until the COVID Pandemic in 2020. John and Marianne celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary on September 28, 2025. John and Marianne settled in Woodstock, NY after they married and lived there until 2024 when they relocated to Shaker Pointe at Carondelet to be closer to their daughter, Christine and their grandchildren.

John began working at Hucktrol Inc., a manufacturing company in Kingston, NY as a draftsman. He then spent the next 40 years building a career designing cooling fans, blowers, and electric motors for aerospace, defense, and military applications at Rotron Manufacturing Company (later EG&G Rotron and AMETEK Rotron) in Woodstock and Saugerties, NY. He retired in 2002 as Manager of Product Design (Industrial Division). After retiring, he returned as a part-time subcontractor doing consulting work, which he enjoyed for quite a few years. In recent years, John wrote an extensive multi chapter “memoir” of his time at Rotron based upon his personal experiences and stories which he shared with both current and former employees.

After his retirement from AMETEK Rotron in 2002, John volunteered for the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE), a resource partner with the U.S. Small Business Administration. During his 20 years with SCORE, he served as a mentor to small business owners, Secretary, and Administrator to the Ulster Chapter. He was awarded Volunteer of the Year in 2021.

Both John and Marianne delivered “Cheer Baskets” to local Woodstock residents during the holiday season for many years.

John had many interests during his lifetime. He was a voracious reader his entire life. He would read just about anything, but his favorite genre was science fiction. He passed on this love of reading to his daughter, Christine, and many weekends growing up were spent visiting both the Woodstock and Phoenicia Libraries. John was a proud volunteer tutor for the Ulster Literacy Association, sharing his love of reading and writing. In addition to being an avid reader, John loved music and art. His extensive album collection included Classical to Rock and Roll and everything in between. He loved blasting the stereo! He and Marianne were staunch supporters of the local Woodstock art colony and the walls of their home in Woodstock reflected this. He was a true NY football fan, rooting for his favorite teams, the Giants and Jets.

In addition to his wife, Marianne (Ohl) Grant, he is survived by his daughter, Christine Marie (Grant) Cimmino of Cohoes, NY, his beloved grandchildren, Marissa Grace Cimmino of Troy, NY and Michael Anthony Cimmino of Cohoes, NY. He is also survived by his cousins, Deanna Klotz of Michigan, Eleanor Termine of Florida, Richard Bell of Wyoming, and Kendall Every of New Jersey and their extended families as well as many cherished friends and neighbors.

The family extends its heartfelt gratitude to John’s favorite caregivers, Dasheema, Gladys, Da’Shelle, and Shantae for taking such wonderful care of him. We love you all! Thank you to Community Hospice of the Capital District for the compassionate care and support you provided John and his family in his final days. You are all angels! A very special thank you to Sister Mary Jo Tallman of Shaker Pointe for the gift of friendship, love, support and prayers you gave John and Marianne these past two years.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, at New Comer Cremations and Funerals, 181 Troy Schenectady Road, Watervliet, NY 12189 from 4 to 7 p.m. with a prayer service to follow. Burial service will be held on Thursday, August 13, 2026, at 2 p.m. at the Woodstock Cemetery, Woodstock, NY.

Those wishing to remember John may donate to Community Hospice or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.