Herbert Baldwin Grant

PETERBOROUGH, NH

Herbert Baldwin Grant, 91, died peacefully on February 6, 2009 at RiverMead, the continuing care retirement community. His two daughters were at his side.

He was born in Norwalk, CT on June 9, 1917 to Viola Gertrude (Baldwin) Grant and Richard Herbert Grant. He graduated in 1935 from Hackley School in Tarrytown, NY and in 1939 from Union College, Schenectady, NY where he was a member of Alpha Delta Phi fraternity. Throughout his life he maintained strong ties to both alma maters and received a Medal of Honor in 1980 from Hackley and in 1989 from Union College. He served as President of the Board of Trustees of Hackley School and was chairman of his 50th Reunion at Union College.

He married Clara Robinson Stetson of Hingham, MA and Jaffrey, NH on January 6, 1940.

He joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a special agent in 1942. His assignments included Washington D.C., Savannah, GA, New York City and Westchester County, NY. In later years he served as Chairman of the Northern New England Chapter of the Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI. Upon leaving the Bureau in 1953 he entered the banking business in Westchester County with the Gramatan National Bank in Bronxville, NY, retiring in 1977 as Executive Vice President of The Bank of New York.

He was actively involved in many community organizations. He served as President of the Bronxville Lions Club, Director of the Bronxville Chamber of Commerce, President of the Westchester County Bankers Association, President of the Westchester County Better Business Bureau, Treasurer of the Westchester Heart Association, and Vice Chairman of both the Westchester Council for the Arts and the Housing Action Council. He was named New York States Volunteer of the Year in 1977.

For sixty years the Grants summered at their cottage on Thorndike Pond in Jaffrey Center. Appreciating and wanting to protect the pristine beauty of their surroundings they and two other families founded the Thorndike Pond Conservation Association in 1959. Their dream of living in Jaffrey year round was realized in 1974 when they built a retirement residence adjacent to their summer cottage.

He was an active member of the First Church in Jaffrey, serving terms as deacon, trustee and moderator. Local civic organizations included: Treasurer of the Thorndike Club, a trustee of Jaffrey Town Trust Funds and Chairman of the Jaffrey Sounding Board, an advisory committee to the Jaffrey Planning Board.

He and his wife were members of the Dublin Lake Club and the Monadnock Country Club. In 1996, the Grants moved to RiverMead in Peterborough, NH. He will be dearly remembered for his love of family, strength of character and, most of all, as a true gentleman.

He was predeceased in July 2008 by Clara, his beloved wife, of 68 years. He is survived by two daughters, Janet Stetson Grant of Jaffrey and Linda Stuart Grant and son-in-law James S. Reiman of Woodstock, VT and Jaffrey, NH.

Memorial gifts may be directed in his name to The Thorndike Pond Conservation Association, PO Box 595, Jaffrey NH 03452; First Church of Jaffrey, PO Box 673, Jaffrey NH 03452; or to the charity of ones choice.

There will be no calling hours or formal funeral services at this time.

A family graveside service will be held in the spring.