Albert Rhode Grill

Albert Rhode Grill, 90, of Duluth, Georgia, passed away on August 25, 2022.

Born in Bradley Illinois, he was affectionately known as Half Pint as a young boy. As a young man attending Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School he participated in Student Council, Dramatic Club, Varsity Club, Thespians, Senior Play, Chorus, Baseball, Football, and Basketball Team Manager. Albert was an avid sports fan, but baseball was his favorite. He was an excellent catcher and received offers to attend Spring Training with the Chicago Cubs and White Sox. He served in the U.S. Air Force (1951 – 1955) as a cryptographer technician and spent time in Europe in General Eisenhower’s NATO Command. As fate would have it, he was setting pins at the bowling alley when the love of his life walked in. Albert and Vera Violet Adams married in 1957 followed by a honeymoon in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He supported his family as a traveling paint salesman in his earlier career moving into furniture finishing later. He loved the Chicago Cubs and although his heart was broken in 1969, it recovered in 2016 when the Cubs beat the Cleveland Indians in the World Series. Albert was the foundation for the family and helped his wife through a 17-year battle with Alzheimer’s. A true family man, he loved nothing more than spending time with his children and grandchildren. Albert was well-read and willing to engage in a discussion about almost any topic, periodically doling out some of his wisdom to get through life. Navigating through life won’t be the same but we are all better equipped for having had him in our lives. He will be missed tremendously, but he is reunited with his parents, Joe and Martha, wife Vera, and his brothers Joe and Barney, and sister Therese.

Albert was preceded in death by his wife of 61 years, Vera. He is survived by his five children, Joan (Kenny), Michael (Lou), Patrick (Roberta), Jeffrey (Vickie) and Jennifer, his ten grandchildren, Josh (Lindsey), Richard, Madeline, Jonathon, Jessica, Emi, Lindsey (Ryan), Mandy, Natalie, Lily and three great grandchildren, Parker, Presley, and Paisley.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you make a donation to either the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org) or Parkinson’s Disease Research through the Michael J. Fox Foundation (www.michealjfox.org) or simply take your son or daughter out to enjoy a baseball game.

And no Dad, the rain did not hurt the rhubarb.