HOLYOAK, Grant

Kingman Daily Miner, Kingman, AZ - Published on June 19, 2012 - Grant Holyoak passed on to his next assignment Thursday, June 14, 2012, at the age of 76. He was born Aug. 10, 1935, at his grandparent's home in Safford, Ariz. He was the oldest of four brothers (Melvin, Wilford and Arnold) with an older sister Carma (who passed on at an early age) born to Otto and Leona Holyoak, who preceded him in death. He grew up in Fort Thomas, Ariz., attended business college in Pueblo, Colo., and hired on with the Santa Fe Railroad as a telegrapher at age 18. He proudly worked there 31 years, retiring as the last ticket agent at the Kingman depot. Grant said, "I am busy and that makes for happy." His life was based on four pillars, Religion, Railroad, Real Estate and Ranching. He grew up on a cotton farm, went to work at a local ranch at 13 and learned to work hard from an early age. He moved from Flagstaff to Kingman in 1967. He loved to share the good news of Jesus Christ and served Him faithfully. He played basketball and loved sports, saying the first verse of the Bible is about baseball - In the Big Inning. He was a champion checker player, jammed on the guitar and mastered the deep-pit barbecue. He was busy as a real estate broker and with real estate investments including Hualapai Foothills Estates, gold and turquoise mines, an RV park, KGMN radio station, laundromat and grocery store. He especially loved ranching with his sons. He is a wonderful leader, teacher and speaker. He was asked to speak at over 75 funerals. He made many dear friends, always had a joke or a riddle, and never knew a stranger. Grant truly treasured his family. He listed each of his posterity in his journal. Over 57 years of marriage to Ethel Stewart produced seven children, Anita (Lance Gavin), Leon (Robyn), Marlene (Ray Stringer), Marti (Ron McDaniel), Rhonda (deceased), Travis (Jenise) and Hyton, 22 grandchildren, and 30 great-grandchildren. Grant wrote in his journal: "Unless I can enjoy my family, visit or go for a walk with them, hold Ethel close for a moment and find something worth learning or laughing at, I feel that day has been wasted. My family is my everything. When they're happy, I'm happy, but when they're sad, so am I." Grant was very loved and will be dearly missed by his family and many friends. Services will be held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 610 Eastern, on Friday, June 22. Viewing is at 9 a.m. and the funeral at 10. Interment will be at the family cemetery near Fort Thomas.