Thomas Garner ("Tom") Grant, Jr, 85, of Tulsa, Oklahoma died on May 19, 2012 at St Francis Hospital. Tom was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on December 14, 1926, the oldest son of T.G. Grant, Sr. and Genelle Grant and one of three children.

He is predeceased by sister, Jean Reames, and survived by brother, Robert ("Bob") Grant.

His proclivity for commerce was evident at an early age, as he was selling the Saturday Evening Post by age six. He attended St. Francis Xavier Catholic School and Will Rogers High School, where he served as class president in 1944. During this period of time, he met many of his life-long friends and achieved an Eagle Scout designation. Following high school, Tom joined the Navy, going into the V12 officer training program. He was sent to Duke University and graduated in 1947. Knowing the value of a good education, Tom then entered law school at the University of Oklahoma and received his J. D. in 1950, before joining his father's commercial real estate firm, T. G. Grant Co. Tom married his grade school sweetheart, Kathryn Conner, in June of 1951 and began raising a family.

In 1958, T. G. Grant Co. merged with Whiteside & Whiteside, to form Whiteside & Grant REALTORS, specializing in commercial and industrial real estate. In 1963, as a father of eight young children, Tom boldly founded his own company, Tom Grant, Jr, Realtor, in Tulsa, where he launched a prosperous one-man operation that spanned over four decades. Tom, or "Tommy" as many of his friends and family called him, brokered sales transactions for numerous landmark properties, such as the Mayo Hotel, Petroleum Building, and Orpheum Theatre. In addition to his brokerage activities, Tom acted as a consultant and investor, developing retail centers, apartment communities, and warehouse / flex properties.

Throughout his career, Tom understood the value of service to his profession and actively participated in local and state real estate associations where he received many honors and vastly increased his network of friends and acquaintances. He contributed substantially to the development of educational courses for the National Association of Realtors (NAR), a 700,000 member organization, and served as a NAR director for several years, prior to his election as NAR President in 1978. Tom was also recognized by his peers as a Counselor of Real Estate (CRE), the highest designation in the real estate field. Tom played an active role in the city's civic life and community development. He was a past director of Woodland Hills Bank, St John's Hospital, and a distinguished member of the Tulsa City-County Library Hall of Fame. In 1973, and in keeping with Tulsa's Vision 2000 balanced growth philosophy, he assembled 155 acres of land on behalf of Homart Development Co, a subsidiary of Sears Corporation, for the construction of Woodland Hills Mall.

Although business responsibilities understandably dominated most of his day, Tom loved to attend his children's sporting events, coach baseball, play tennis, trade stocks, or visit with close friends. One of his greatest gifts was his uncanny ability to remember names and events, which made everyone he would meet feel comfortable and welcomed.

Tom is survived by his beloved wife, Kathryn, of 61 years, and seven of his eight children: Cathy Grant, Sheila Michie (Charles), Tom Grant, III (Toni), Jim Grant (Laurie), Peggy Grant, Richard Grant (Claire), and Peter Grant. Tom was predeceased by his daughter Linda Buxton. Tom was also blessed to have sixteen grandchildren and two great grandchildren, who always brought an extra smile to his face.

A wake will be held at Christ the King Church on Tuesday at 6:30 PM. The Funeral Mass will be celebrated at Christ the King Church on Wednesday at 1:00 PM. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery under the direction of Fitzgerald's Funeral Service.

Donations may be made to the Early Childhood Development Center (ECDC) at Christ the King Parish.

FIZGERALD IVY CHAPEL 918-585-1151