Jonathan Lee Grant

The live stream for Mr. Grant is having technical issues with the chapel camera. We apologize for the disruption.


Jonathan Lee Grant, 66, was born in Sedalia, MO on July 30, 1955 and died unexpectedly on October 2, 2021 in Atlanta, GA. He was an award-winning author who wrote novels, screenplays, and numerous articles on his Brambleman blog. He was co-author and editor of The Way It Was in the South: The Black Experience in Georgia, a Georgia “Book of the Year” winner and Editors’ Choice of American Heritage magazine. His second novel, Brambleman, won the IBPA's Benjamin Franklin Award for popular fiction in 2013. Jonathan grew up on a farm near Sedalia and spent his childhood on the family farm. His parents moved the family to Columbia, MO in July of 1969 to work on their advanced degrees. Jonathan enjoyed life in “the big city” of Columbia after leaving the farm. He played Jr. High football and earned enough money as a part time dishwasher while in high school to purchase a Kawasaki 750 (without telling his parents first). Jonathan moved to Fort Valley, GA with his parents in 1972 when his father began teaching history at Fort Valley State University. Jonathan graduated from the University of Georgia with honors as an English Major and began his career as a reporter at The Daily Sun in Warner Robins, GA where he met his lovely wife-to-be, Judy. Jonathan and Judy were married in Central City Park in Macon on April 4, 1981. Jonathan moved on to work as the state news editor and later, the Warner Robins Bureau Chief at The Macon Telegraph. After relocating to Atlanta in 1981, he was recruited as the first Public Information Officer for the Georgia Public Service Commission where he worked until 1987. He then resigned to concentrate on his lifelong dream of becoming a novelist. After he and Judy had two children, he became a stay-at-home Dad. He coached 12 seasons of soccer for his daughters’ teams and served as PTA copresident from 2000-2001. Jonathan’s tour de force Brambleman blog that began in 2012 covered Georgia politics and history, with a focus on informing citizens about the actions of the Dekalb Board of Elections. He was a proud and strong advocate for government transparency, social justice, and voting rights, as well as an active participant in numerous community groups and political campaigns, tirelessly working for a better world. Jonathan was preceded in his death by his father, Donald Lee Grant, and mother, Mildred Elnora “Jeanne” Bricker. He is survived by his beloved wife of 40 years, Judy Grant, daughters Laurel (Michael) Cantrell and Natalee Grant, brothers Richard Lawrence (Judy) Grant and David Bricker Grant, sister Valerie Jean (Brian) Rude, and many nieces and nephews. A celebration of Jonathan’s life will be held on Saturday, October 23 with visitation from 3 to 4 pm and service beginning at 4:00 PM at A.S. Turner & Sons, 2773 N. Decatur Rd., Decatur, GA 30033. To ensure safety of those attending, masks will be required. Unvaccinated family and friends, and those who cannot travel to attend may view the service online. The recorded service will be streaming live on Turner & Sons website. In lieu of flowers, please consider giving a contribution to an organization Jonathan believed in, Atlanta Food Bank, https://www.acfb.org/.