Obituary of Grant Sisson

William Grant Sisson, 95, of Wadsworth, Illinois, was with his beloved family when he went home to be with his Lord on April 2, 2017. Grant was born on January 6, 1922, in Waukegan, Illinois. Grant’s parents, Walter George Sisson and Erma Boyer Sisson raised him to honor God. He grew up in Waukegan, Illinois, and moved to Zion, Illinois, when he was 17. He lived in Zion, Illinois until he was 78. Grant was in the first graduating class of Zion Benton High School (1940) where he met the love of his life, Barbara Jane Baughman. He loved to play the trombone and played in the first band at ZBTHS. He earned the first varsity letter in basketball from ZBTHS. As an adult he played in the Zion Concert Band and in the Zion Orchestra. He was involved in the World War II effort at Abbott Laboratories before enlisting in the Navy. Grant served in the Navy medical core from 1944-1946. While in the Navy, he was stationed at Bremerton, Washington, and then was sent to Eniwetok an atoll in the Pacific Ocean. He was married to Barbara Baughman on November 24, 1944. This past November, they celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary. Growing up, he attended Grace Church in Zion, but as an adult he joined his wife, Barbara, at the Christian Catholic Church (now called Christ Community Church) in Zion, where he was active for over seventy years. During that time he served on the Board of Directors and served for over twenty years as work party coordinator for the church’s Camp Zion. In addition he worked as a youth leader, served on a pastoral search committee, worked faithfully as an usher, and played in the orchestra for the Zion Passion Play. After graduating from high school in 1940, he and his 72 year old father, Walter Sisson, started Sisson Sheet Metal. In 1948, Grant started a wholesale heating air conditioning business, Mid-Way Supply, Inc., in Zion, Illinois, which grew to employ 100 people at its peak. In 1973, IBM featured him in a small business advertisement in the Wall Street Journal for his early adoption of computers in his business. He retired from Mid-Way in 1990. He was active in community projects and served in many community leadership positions. He served on the Zion State Bank Board of Directors, was on the Lake County Board of Supervisors as Assistant Zion Township Supervisor, served as a trustee for the Northamerican Heating and Air-Conditioning Wholesalers Association, was on the board of the Lake County Heating Contractors Association and served on the board of the Zion Historical Society. After many years on the board of the Zion Evangelical Mission of Africa, he was given an honorary lifetime membership. Grant loved to travel and in those travels he visited Africa, Australian, China, Europe and South America. In his fifties he rode his bicycle from Zion to Indianapolis. He managed to visit all fifty states and after retiring took family and friends on adventures in his RV. As a retirement project he bought a farm in Lindenhurst, now known as Grant’s Grove, where he planted thousands of trees and hosted hundreds of picnics and parties including a few weddings. He also passed out thousands of books on topics he was passionate about. Grant loved to travel and in those travels he visited Africa, Australian, China, Europe and South America. He managed to visit all fifty states and after retiring took family and friends on adventures in his RV. He was generous with his possessions, generous with his time, generous with his wisdom. Beloved by family, friends, employees, and customers, Grant was known for his integrity, heart of service, and love of Jesus. Grant Sisson is survived by his wife, Barbara Jane Baughman Sisson; his children, Kay Sisson, Karilyn (Tom) Jones, Ken (Jeri) Sisson, and Karl (Kathy) Sisson; his grandchildren, Andrew (Phiona) Sisson, Becca Jones, Gretchen (Kyle) Phillips, Elli Jones, Nate (Megan) Sisson, Tim Jones, Haley Sisson, Matthew Sisson, Grant A. Sisson, Kelly Sisson, Jack Sisson, David Sisson; his great-grandchildren, Alaina, Stephen, James, and Kaitrin Phillips and Joshua Sisson. In addition he is survived by his foster sons, John (Nancy) Huber and Glen (Annette) Crozier; his foster-grandchildren, Ishvara Brewington, Stacie (Aaron) Jones, and Ashley Kanode; and his foster great-grandchildren Ryan and Maci Kanode. Grant was preceded in death by his parents, Walter and Erma Sisson, his sister, Florence Montroy, and his great-grandson, Asher David Phillips. A visitation will be held on Friday, April 7, 2017, from 3:00 until 5:00 p.m. at Christ Community Church, 2500 Dowie Memorial Drive, Zion. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, April 8, 2017, at 11:00 a.m. at the church with Pastor Ken Langley officiating. Interment will follow at Mt. Olivet Memorial Park, Zion. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Zion Evangelical Ministries of Africa (www.zema.org), Camp Zion (www.campzion.org), or Christ Community Church (www.ccczion.org).