“Everyone loved him, the life of the party.”
Grant Hurst, 67, of Decatur, Indiana passed away on June 15th, 2023 peacefully at his residence surrounded by his family.
Grant was born in Decatur on October 29th,1955 to Thomas K. and Daisy L. Hurst.
Grant was a fun-loving soul who lived for all of life’s celebrated and everyday occasions and rarely knew a stranger in town.
In his youth, Grant found a love for billiards at the Decatur Sports Center, which was owned and operated by his parents. That love continued for several decades as Grant became a valuable player on a number of local pool leagues and developed close bonds with many who became life-long friends. Most notably, he was a part of the Wren Pool League. In the late 80’s, he and his team won the local league and advanced to the Youngstown Regional Qualifier before moving onto Nationals in St. Louis.
Grant was also a music enthusiast. He loved having a drink and listening to his diverse music collection that spanned from vinyl in his teenage years to most recently CDs. Friends found it hard to stump him when it came to finding a song or artist he didn’t know.
He frequently could be found at car shows near and far sharing his love for classic muscle cars. He was especially fond of the 1967 Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 Convertible.
Grant loved to watch football with his family and friends and cheer on his favorite teams and players. He was always sure to carefully select his football picks on Sundays.
Grant was a food connoisseur with a diverse palate and a love for finding small, lesser known establishments. He enjoyed taking his friends and family to these places, however, part of the fun was that you never knew where you would end up with Grant or where he was taking you; he wouldn’t tell you either. You just knew you were along for the ride. He also enjoyed cooking all kinds of foods and making each recipe his own. If you were to get a taste of Grant’s concoctions, he wanted to know your review in great detail.
All who knew Grant would agree he was a prankster. His daughters and family will always recall his most well-known trick of the “Boody shuffle” where Grant would sneak out the back at a party or event without telling a soul. “Where’s Grant?” people would often ask. If you were around him for any amount of time, you know he would make you laugh or you would get to hear his infectious laughter, too.
Grant’s daughters will always cherish their memories with their dad. Among their favorites were a senior year trip to Cancun and annual trips to the 127 garage sales packing their cars with things they didn’t need. His grandkids enjoyed hearing all his stories and jokes and watching scary movies while eating Totino’s pizzas.
In his most recent years, Grant spent a lot of time at the YMCA in Van Wert, Ohio where he made life-long friends.
Among survivors are his daughters, Megan (Doug) Henkel of Decatur and Madison (Johnny) Lengerich also of Decatur; grandchildren Ashton and Avery Henkel and Rylee and John Cooper Lengerich; father Thomas Hurst of Hernando, Florida; sister Jodi Hurst Thompson of Muncie; nephew Tanner (Kayla) Thompson of Mooreland; niece Quincy (Alex) DeKemper of Bluffton, and three great-nieces. He was preceded in death by his mother Daisy Hurst.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Connor Brite’s Wildflowers; a local Adams County program where youth learn that music never dies and Paws of Adams County; as Grant loved animals of every kind.
Checks can be made to “Connor Brite’s Wildflowers” and mailed to 4346 N 100 E Decatur, Indiana 46733 or you can donate online at http://www.cjbwildflowers.com/.
Donations to Paws of Adams County can be sent to P.O. Box 482 Decatur, Indiana 46733 or online https://www.pawsofadamscounty.com/.
A Celebration of Life in Grant’s honor will take place on August 5th, 2023 at the Elks Lodge in Decatur from 2-6 pm. An open microphone hour will take place starting at 3 pm. Please come prepared to share a memory you have of Grant or a funny tale. If you are unable to make it to the Celebration of Life, Grant’s family would love to hear your story. Please email it to quincyjodekemper@gmail.com or mail it to PO Box 412 Decatur, Indiana 46733 with attention to “Family of Grant Hurst”.
“His personality was so strong and vibrant that he’ll be with us for the rest of our lives. Now it is our job to remember and honor the blessing we all received from knowing him.”
The arrangements are being handled by Haggard Hirschy & Zelt Funeral Home in Decatur.