Thomas Grissop

Born in Detroit, Michigan on August 28, 1923 Departed on January 7, 2016 and resided in Hendersonville, Tennessee Visitation: Hendersonville Funeral HomeTuesday January 12, 2016 2:00pm to 7:00pmVisitation: Our Lady of The Lake Catholic ChurchWednesday January 13, 2016 10:00am to 11:00amLife Celebration: Our Lady of The Lake Catholic ChurchWednesday January 13, 2016 11:00am to 12:00pm

Thomas John Grissop, age 92, passed away on January 7, 2016. He lived a rich life. Born in Detroit, MI, he grew up during the Great Depression. He joined the Civilian Conservation Corps as a teenager & had fond memories of planting trees in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. One might wonder if this later attributed to his great love of gardening. At the age of 17, he joined the army and was assigned to the 16th Armored Division in which he proudly served during WWII. His group was among those that liberated Pilzen, Czechoslovakia- a city & people that he held dear to his heart for their warmth & undying gratitude. Tom returned to Pilzen a number of times to take part in their Libration Celebrations where he was always treated as an honored guest. Tom was a stationary steam engineer by profession & worked for 32 years for the Detroit Board of Education. He felt fortunate to work in a field that he enjoyed. As a hobby, Tom built model steam engines & participated in steam engine shows across Michigan & Tennessee. He also enjoyed the outdoors & most summers could be found camping at East Tawas, Ludington, or along Portage Lake near Jackson, MI. Upon retirement Tom moved to Tennessee. He was a member of Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church. He joined & was later a commander of the Hendersonville VFW Post 9851. He had a number of close friends there, some of who accompanied him on an "Honor Flight" for veterans to Washington DC. He was an avid Rivergate Mall walker & had many friends there as well. When he was home, he liked nothing better than to sit outside & enjoy the warmth of the sunshine. He had wonderful neighbors. Tom leaves behind his loving wife of 64 years, Irene Grissop; son Jeffrey (Odell) Grissop & daughter Bonnie (Bob) Grissop-O'Berry. He will be missed by his grandchildren Jason & Kamal Grissop, Thomas & Collin O'Berry & Jason, Jamie & Reshma Cole in addition to his 5 great-grandchildren.
A memorial mass will be held at 11am on Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at Our Lady of the Lake Church in Hendersonville, TN. Visitation will be held one hour prior to service time at the church and on Tuesday, January 12 from 2pm to 7pm at Hendersonville Funeral Home. A reception will be held in the church social hall following the service. Interment will be at the National Cemetery in Madison later in the week.