Lt. Col. Melvin McNeal Grantham Jr., U.S. Army (Ret), Oxford, Md., formerly of Alexandria, Va., passed away peacefully at his home with family by his side on Mar. 14, 2021.
Neal was born on May 17, 1937 in Overton, Texas to Melvin and Kate Grantham and grew up in Clarksdale. He obtained a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Mississippi and a Master of Science from Ohio State. Neal joined the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers after graduating from Ole Miss.
Neal met the love of his life, Christa (Chris) Kegreiss on a blind date while stationed in Ludwigsburg, Germany. Neal and Chris were blessed to share 60 years of marriage with goodnight kisses every night, without fail! They also enjoyed travel with friends, music venues, tennis, and time with their family.
Neal treated everyone with kindness and respect and was known for his calm demeanor and dry humor. He was agreeable and often said “if you say so” or told others that everything was “copacetic”. He referred to his daughters as “Schatz” or “Stinker” depending on how much he wanted to tease!
Neal patriotically served his country with tours in Vietnam, Korea, and Germany. He was awarded a Purple Heart when injured in Vietnam and received many other distinguished awards including the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, and Army Commendation. He will always be our hero.
Neal is survived by his wife, Chris; daughter, Karin (Richard) Osborne of Oxford, Md., and their children Nicole (Ryan), Christopher (Anna), Ashley, Caroline, Lily; daughter, Suzy (Mike) Schipper of Prior Lake, Minn., and their children Grant, Brandon, and Ryan; sister, Elizabeth (Bradley) Sanders of Oxford; brother, Bob (Sandy) Grantham of Prairieville, La.; and sister, Nita Grantham of Corona, Calif. Neal was proceeded in death by his parents, Melvin and Kate Grantham, and his brother, John Grantham.
A visitation and ceremony will be held on 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Mar. 17 at the Fellows, Helfenbein & Newnam Funeral Home in Easton, Md. A military funeral will be held at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, D.C. at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be given to the Fischer House at www.fisherhouse.org.
For online condolences, please visit www.fhnfuneralhome.com.
