James Wesley Grant

James Wesley Grant, III passed away Monday, February 1, 2016 at Southeast Alabama Medical Center with his family by his side.  He was 82.

Funeral services will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, February 4, 2016 at First Baptist Church of Dothan, where he had been a lifetime member. Sunset Memorial Funeral Home is handling the arrangements with Dr. Johnny Fain officiating.  A private burial will follow at Memory Hill Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to First Baptist Church, 300 West Main, Dothan, AL  36303; American Cancer Society, 3054 McGehee Rd, Montgomery, AL 36111; or The Salvation Army, 1001 South Bell St, Dothan, AL 36301.

The family will receive friends at the funeral home Wednesday, Feb. 3, from 5:00 – 7:00 and also on Thursday, Feb. 4 one hour prior to the service.

Mr. Grant was born January 11, 1934 in Dothan, AL to the late James W. Grant and Mildred Vaughn Carroll. From 1960 to 2009, Mr. Grant was in the drafting and design business.  During this time he had offices in Dothan, Ozark and Auburn, AL; Albany, GA, and Panama City, FL.  Beginning in 1961 until 1986, he was in the construction business.  He was a leader in design and development of townhouses and garden homes.  He constructed some of the first townhouses in northwest Florida, Dothan, Auburn and Lake Eufaula.

As Dothan’s Mayor for eight years from 1973-1981, citizens were fortunate to have the distinguished leadership abilities of James “Jimmy” W. Grant.  During this period the City had an industrial expansion with the location of General Electric, TRW, Spun Steel, Michelin, Sony and Dunbarton.  New schools were also constructed – Northview High School, Honeysuckle and Beverlye Middle Schools.  Recreation services were expanded at Walton Park, Wiregrass Park and the construction of Westgate Park and Water World, Vaughn Towers and Marvin Lewis Village for the elderly were built.

Mr. Grant has held a number of leadership positions in the City of Dothan with positions in the Dothan Area Chamber of Commerce, National Peanut Festival, Homebuilders, and Kiwanis and most recently, chairman of the Dothan Downtown Redevelopment Authority.

Mr. Grant obtained his Real Estate Broker license in 1973 and since then he has owned and operated the full service real estate business James Grant Realty.  He served as President of the Dothan Association of Realtors and the Alabama Association of Realtors in 2004.  He supervised the construction of a new $6 million AAR building adjacent to the Alabama Capital.

Survivors include the love of his life, his wife of 55 years, Rose Garrett Grant, his son, James “Wes” Grant, IV Tara and daughters Rosemary McKibben Jack and Gina McNeal Joe.  Other survivors include grandchildren – Drew McKibben Brittany, Mary Grant McKibben, Cory McKibben, Taylor Grant and Anna Lynn Grant; a sister Dianne Carroll; brother in law Frank Garrett Anita and sister in law June Manor John and a number of nieces and nephews. Active pallbearers will be Drew McKibben, Cory McKibben, Clay Garrett, Randy Church, Merritt Holman, and Ed Jackson.  Honorary pallbearers will be Jim Hemby, Bill Blount, Don Speigner, Wallace Malone, John Watson, John Glanton, Kater & Jean Williams, Frances Cook, and the Realtors with James Grant Realty and Alabama Association of Realtors.

A special thanks to Maleka, Sandra and staff of Covenant Hospice; Penny and Sara with First Light Home Care. We would like to thank all of our friends and family for their generous heart and kindness to our Dad.