Stanley Lee Grim's Obituary
Stanley Lee Grim, 78, passed away at home on August 27, 2025 surrounded by family and his beloved dog.
Our dad, Stan, would often say that he didn’t like people, preferring the company of his chihuahua, his garden, and Columbo reruns. But we know that was all a ruse. Stan was a generous, kind, and loving man, father, brother, son, and friend. He was the first person to say hello to people walking by, start up a conversation with someone in line or at the table next to him, offer to mow a neighbor’s lawn or do some handiwork (despite not actually being very handy…), bring food to share, pick out a gift that reminded him of you, or send a handwritten card. He truly believed in living every day and made the most of his 78 years of life.
Born on January 1, 1947 in Allentown, Pennsylvania, he was the oldest son of Stanley and Gloria (Shourek) Grim. He grew up in a very modest life with big dreams. He was a member of the Future Farmers of America, a champion boxer, and a car aficionado. Stan’s love of cars started young. He would retell his days of racing cars in his youth and, later in life, enjoyed spending his time working on and showing his award-winning classic El Camino.
Stan was also a proud and decorated Vietnam Veteran. He served two tours with the Navy as a Seabee, where he worked in the commissary before his unit was called into the front line of duty. Known for his incredible work ethic and curiosity, this love of food and service led to an esteemed career in the restaurant business with the Howard Johnson Company. There he worked his way up from being a dishwasher, to a short order cook, restaurant manager, and ultimately the second in command of 70 plus restaurants on the East Coast. Following his career at Howard Johnson’s, he was the liaison between corporate and franchisees with Wendy’s and then moved into restaurant work more locally, including being the general manager of Waterman’s Crab House in Rock Hall, Maryland and his own restaurant property in
Wilmington, Delaware.
A father to four and a friend to many, Stan was also a tremendous gardener and perpetual tinkerer. His inability to sit still combined with his renowned zest for life and touch of mischief meant that he was always on the move, whether that was taking an art class, rearranging the furniture, refinishing end tables, planting (even more) snake plants, or painting his house. One thing was for sure, you could count on something looking different every time you visited. This could sometimes become a bit comical since he was also colorblind. To this day, we’re not sure if he realized his bathroom was purple. But we do know that he loved deeply, lived life fully, and will be missed dearly.
His family was among Stan’s greatest achievements and a source of much joy. He is survived by his children (Kelly Grim, Stacey Zappacosta, Elizabeth Grim, and Tyler Grim), 6 grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his brother, Mark Grim.
A memorial service with military honors will be held at a yet to be determined date in 2026. Heritage Funeral & Cremation Service of Bunnell, FL assisted the family with arrangements. https://www.HeritageFlagler.com
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