Lewis Grinnard Jr.
Lewis Grinnard, Jr. was born in Manhattan on Sunday, April 14, 1962, to his mother Sedra Jones Alston and late father Lewis
Grinnard, Sr. He transitioned to his heavenly home on June 30th, 2025.
He married his college sweetheart, Deborah J. Thompson-Grinnard and later moved Staten Island, where they lived for 20 years and started their beautiful family. They were married for 40 years and have two wonderful children: daughter Dakota Jordan S. Grinnard and son Noah Alexander S. Grinnard.
He is also survived by his mother Sedra Jones Alston, sister Nicole L. Williams, a host of cousins, nephews, nieces, aunts and one uncle.
Lewis lived a full and beautiful life, accomplishing many things along his journey. He loved his family, playing the saxophone & piano, traveling and listening to contemporary Christian music. Lewis was also a poet and artist, with poems published in The Hunter Envoy.
A passionate basketball fan, Lewis was a lifelong supporter of the New York Knicks. His affinity for Eastern culture augmented his pride in being born the in Year of the Tiger—his favorite animal. Always dressed to the nines, Lewis adorned himself with jewelry, watches, crosses, and hints of purple—his favorite color—to complement his
signature black wardrobe. His favorite pastime was cooking. The luckiest among us were able to savor his signature dishes: curry goat and stewed oxtails.
A devout Christian, Lewis’s smile and laugh reflected the warmth and compassion he carried throughout his life. He adored his children and was deeply involved in their lives—supporting them in sports, arts, music, and of course education.
Lewis directly traced his American-Indian lineage to his mother’s great-great grandfather a Dakota Nation descendant, from the Connecticut, Naugatuck River and his late father Cherokee Nation lineage from Virginia.
Lewis attended the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania where he was a walk-on for the Penn Quakers basketball team. He later obtained a degree in Political Science and Religion from Hunter College. After interning with the late Mayor David Dinkins, US representative Eliot Engel and Congressman Charles Rangel, he went on to receive a Master’s Degree in Political Science from Cambridge College in Boston.
His years of academic pursuit led him to become a social studies teacher at I.S. 61, where he dedicated himself to nurturing the young men and women of Staten Island. After retirement, Lewis continued to support youth by mentoring through the iMentor program.
Lewis’s favorite saying was, “Go with God”—in Spanish, “Vaya Con Dios.” His favorite scripture was the 23rd Psalm: “The Lord is my Shepherd,” along with The Lord’s Prayer.