Grant Robert Meyers — father, husband, provider, adventurer, world traveler, road trip warrior, Privateer boat pirate, dog lover, wine enthusiast, master griller, the life of every party — passed away on July 3, 2021. He was 78.

His philosophy on life was simple: “I’m only going down this road once… drive on both sides.” Well, that and wear shorts for any occasion.

He was sharp, with a combination of charm and intuition that afforded him the almost uncanny ability to size up a situation within moments and turn it into an interesting conversation that would evolve into a mutually beneficial relationship.

Much of Grant’s personality developed early on. He was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the youngest of three children and only son of Orca and Edgar Meyers (both deceased). As he grew, he pulled qualities from both of his parents — his mother’s creativity, his father’s vision, his family’s fierce sense of loyalty — all of which drove him toward entering the family business and beginning a career in the air conditioning and air purification industry.

He believed in working hard and having fun. And he did both in equal measure. Choosing ‘death before retirement’ his work ethic kept him in business well into his seventies, remaining a human file-o-fax of contacts and a walking spec sheet for every product line he represented, and even some he didn’t. Self-employed for more than forty years of his life, he was deeply committed to Target Sales, the company he created and grew, as well as to his colleagues, his customer relationships and the products he represented.

Unselfish with his expertise, he acted as mentor and even in some cases father figure to those he did business with. He shared freely his knowledge and skills and took pleasure in witnessing the successes of those he helped along the way.

In his personal life, one could say that Grant loved the ladies. And that’s not to say he was a ladies man–though we’ve heard tale that there was a time — he loved the women who shaped his life, starting with his mother, his two sisters Karel and Nancy (deceased), his first wife, Ellen, his daughters Gretchen and Kristen, granddaughters, Daphne, Alice and Frances, his wife and partner of 35 years, Reanie and even his long list of Labrador retrievers, Grace, Shorty, Shadow (deceased), Magic (deceased) and Button (deceased).

Grant was a master entertainer and loved being around people. And he had so many good stories to tell. Grant’s family members — especially his daughters and granddaughters, were often the stars of his stories. He took every opportunity to share in their joys and interests, jumped in headfirst to support them in times of struggle and was the most proud supporter of their accomplishments and accolades.

As generous as he was humorous, his many friends often found themselves “shooting the shit” around his dinner table, their glasses of wine overflowing and their plates full of grilled meats (always from the charcoal Weber never from an “incinerator”), as they enjoyed lively conversation or spirited debate.

Some might have called him opinionated, or stubborn or feisty. And those who didn’t, may not have known him all that well. I mean, at one time his nickname was Grunt. His busy brain was filled with bright ideas and problems to be solved — sometimes his own but often someone else’s. You might’ve mentioned an issue casually in conversation only to receive a call two or three days later with an innovative response and the specific directions to execute it. Creative solutions were his specialty, but improvisation was his art.

Never afraid to break rules or push boundaries, he would’ve done just about anything to make a joke, or to prove a point. Likely anyone who knew him has at least one story or another that ends with a punchline, features him dropping his pants, or possibly both. Like Grant, most of the moments we have to remember him by were short, but legendary.

Grant Meyers may have been a small man in short pants, but he was always larger than life. Our lives are bigger for having known and loved him and will feel infinitely smaller with him gone.
In lieu of flowers please consider a gift to Southeastern Guide Dogs.