George L. Grantland

Published 10:58 am Saturday, November 23, 2013

TROY, Ala. — Memorial services for George L. Grantland Jr., 86, of Gautier, who died Friday, Nov. 22, 2013, at his daughter’s home in Troy, Ala., will be 12:30 p.m. Dec. 2, at O’Bryant-O’Keefe Funeral Home in Pascagoula.

Burial will be at the Biloxi National Cemetery in Biloxi.(Photo/Thomas Graning)

Visitation will be 11 a.m. Dec. 2 at the funeral home.

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Mr. Grantland was born March 9, 1927, in Camden, N.J., the son of George and Mamie W. Grantland. He was a graduate of Audubon High School in Audubon, N.J., and was a third-class petty officer in the U.S. Navy in 1945 and 1946. After his discharge, Mr. Grantland served as president of the local Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion chapters. A lifelong musician, he played trumpet in several well-known swing and orchestra bands during the 1940s and 1950s along the East Coast.

He moved to Gautier in 1968, working as a material supervisor at Ingalls Shipyard. He retired after 45 years of service to Ingalls and New York Shipbuilding Corp. In retirement, he was an active member and trustee of the Benevolent Protect Order of the Elks Lodge No. 1120 in Pascagoula.

He is preceded in death by his parents; his sisters, Mary Jane Grantland and Virginia Grantland Trull; and his dear friend, Bobbie Hudson of Gautier.

Survivors include three daughters, Dr. Geri and Mike Weiland of Vicksburg, Linda Harris of Denver, and Stacy Graning of Troy, Ala.; and five grandsons, Dr. David and Courtney Weiland of Nashville, Tenn., Grant Harris of Denver, Private 1st Class Jonathan Harris of Denver and Fort Benning, Ga., and Thomas Graning and Wright Graning of Troy. He was previously married to Muriel Green Grantland, formerly of Gautier and now of Vicksburg.

The family requests memorials be made to the Audubon Nature Institute, 6500 Magazine St., New Orleans, La., 70118, auduboninstitute.org, or the Elks National Foundation, 2750 North Lakeview Ave., Chicago, IL 60614-2256, elks.org.