John Robert Grab, a man of peace, died early today, Tuesday, March 9, 2021, at Indiana Square in White Township.
He passed away three days after his 93rd birthday.
John was a son of William L. and Helen Marie (McHale) Grab and was born March 6, 1928, in New Rochelle, N.Y.
He graduated in 1946 from Isaac E. Young High School, enlisted in the U.S. Army and served until late 1947 in the Company F, 325 th Infantry, Army of Occupation keeping the peace in post- World War II Italy. He was awarded the World War II Victory Medal.
John collected tolls for eight years for the New England Expressway and was a police officer for four years before he followed his father’s lead and served for 27 years with the New Rochelle Fire Department.
A highlight of his career was not in the heroics of action in a dire emergency but during a routine Aug. 22, 1979, fire inspection that averted disaster for a New Rochelle shopping center.
“Your concern and diligent efforts … in discovering a fire in its incipiency, resulted in both a reduction of fire loss and commensurate human suffering,” city officials wrote in a formal commendation of John.
He retired later to the Rollingwood community in Brookfield, Conn, and relocated in 2018 to Indiana.
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish football program will need a new No. 1 fan.
John also was an avid follower of the University of Connecticut women’s basketball team and, we believe, remained a closet fan of the New England Patriots after he relocated in 2018 to Western Pennsylvania.
Few knew their way around a racing form like John.
He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother William G. Grab and sister Irene C. (Grab) Thornell; his nephew William D. “Buddy” Grab; and his nieces Catherine M. (Grab) Powell and Maureen (Thornell) Ross.
John is survived by his nephew John R. Grab, of Daniel Island, S.C.; his nieces Barbara J. Cushing and Marilyn J. Grab, both of Lowville, N.Y., and Margaret E. Brown, of Clinton, N.Y.; Chauncey Ross, of Indiana, and countless others who knew him as Uncle Jack.
Rairigh-Bence Funeral Home, Indiana, has been entrusted with the arrangements. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Bernard Church, 200 Clairvaux Drive, Indiana, PA 15701 or Indiana Fire Association, 501 Philadelphia St., Indiana, PA 15701.
A memorial service will be planned later at St. Marguerite Bourgeoys Parish, Brookfield. Burial
will be with his family at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Hawthorne, N.Y.
