Frank Grant, Sr.

Edgar Franklin Grant, Sr. “Pastor Grant” (76) of Ocala, Florida, went to be with our Lord on Saturday, August 15th peacefully at home.  Frank was born in North Ft. Myers, FL where he lived until joining the United States Air Force.  While serving in the Air Force, he lived in Texas and Alaska.   After his military service, he moved back home and began working for NASA.  While working at NASA he received the call to ministry, and began college at Palm Beach Atlantic followed by Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC where he earned a Master of Divinity. While there, he pastored his first church, Thanksgiving Baptist Church and re-entered the United States Air Force as a reserve chaplain.  After serving the Thanksgiving community for four years, he moved to Gainesville, Florida to pastor Northwest Baptist Church and also was instrumental in the development of The Village Retirement Center.  In 1980, he moved to Ocala, Florida where he finished his career by pastoring Oak-Griner Baptist Church for 33 years where he remained a member until his death.  While serving the Oak community, he started the Oak-Griner re-creation center, which focuses on ministering to the Oak community through youth sports.  This is where Oak-Griner Youth Baseball is hosted.

Frank is preceded in death by his parents and two sisters : June Allison Henkel and Agnes Darlene Hathoot.  He is survived by his devoted family:  wife of 57 years, Barbara Elwell Grant; son, Frank Grant, Jr. and wife Karen of Ocala, FL;  son, Wes Grant and wife Carey of Ocala, FL;  daughter, Penny Smith and husband, Stan of Ocala, FL; daughter, Shannon Mims and husband, Chris of Ocala, FL; sister, Marlena Gibbs of Lake Placid, FL;  sister, Marian Marie Spittler and husband Mark of Port Charlotte, FL;  brother, Danny Grant and wife Carolyn of North Ft. Myers, FL; sister, Linda Barron Smith and her husband John of Shreveport, Louisiana; and twelve grandchildren, six great grandchildren.

The family will be having a drop-in memorial gathering celebrating his life on Thursday, August  20, 2020 from 4:00 – 7:00 PM at his home.  Friends are welcome to attend and celebrate Frank’s life with his large family.  The family is requesting that you send or bring a favorite memory or comment of his ministry or friendship as they will be making a Memorial Book. You may Email it to: spktk@icloud.com.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Mortgage Retirement Fund of Oak-Griner Baptist Church, 6422 NE Jacksonville Road, Ocala, FL 34479.

Arrangements by Countryside Funeral Home, Anthony, FL (352) 620-2006.