David Mather Grundy's Obituary
David Mather Grundy, age 88 of Gainesville, passed away peacefully at Oak Hammock on April 22, 2025 after a brief illness. He was born on September 27, 1936 in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Eben Mather Grundy and Olga Ann Norton.
Dave attended Blake School in Minneapolis, and received a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Princeton University in 1958. He married his wife of 54 years, Betty Lou Bottoms, on June 3, 1963 in Gainesville, where she was a medical student at the University of Florida. Dave served in the United States Air Force for four years, where he attained the rank of captain. He was stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota as a missile targeting officer. He then worked at Dow Chemical before giving up his engineering work to support Betty’s career in academic medicine. After several moves around the country, they came back to Gainesville in the 1980’s. Dave was first and foremost a wonderful husband to Betty and stay-at-home father to their children, Jennifer and Tom, throughout their childhood. He also wrote for the Gainesville Sun for many years, promoting local arts and music, especially the classical music that he dearly loved.
Dave’s passion for classical music included travels to hear many favorite orchestras and an astounding collection of records and CDs—most of which were donated to the Friends of the Library in Gainesville. His wide-ranging interests also encompassed stamp collecting, solar eclipses, soccer, and gun control. Always eager to engage with others, Dave was involved with the Institute for Learning in Retirement at Oak Hammock. For many years, his daily routine included lively discussion of current events with his friends at the Donut Connection. Dave’s good-natured wit and humor were appreciated by all who knew him. His chosen quotation from his high school yearbook captured Dave’s outlook: “A light heart lives long” (Shakespeare).
Dave was preceded in death by his wife, Betty, and his brother, Norton Bruce (Tony) Grundy.
He is survived by his daughter Jennifer (Ream) Stokley and grandson, Ben of Gallatin, TN; and son Tom (Geolyn) of Nevada City, CA.
A memorial service will be held Tuesday, April 29, 2025 at 11:00 am at Oak Hammock (Assisted Living). In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Haven Hospice of Gainesville, https://havenhospice.com/ or the Gainesville Orchestra, https://www.gainesvilleorchestra.com/
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