Alan Grennier

Alan Ward Grennier died peacefully on April 30, 2012. Alan was born on February 15, 1935 in Rainy River, Ontario where his family had moved from Milwaukee during the depression. Alan's childhood was not typical; he was separated from his family at a very early age and he grew up in a state institution. He always knew the love of his family, though, and maintained a strong bond with his brother Melroy and sister-in-law Millie of Hubert, NC. Alan is also survived by his brother Gerry, of Racine. He is predeceased by his parents, Florence and Marshall, and his sisters, Mary and Lucille. Alan loved to visit his family, and greatly enjoyed sending and receiving letters and calls from Melroy and Millie. Alan worked for many years at the Coca-Cola Bottling plant on University Avenue in Madison, for Callahan's Sports Pub, and for Northport -Packer Apartments as a groundskeeper, retiring reluctantly only when his health began to fail. He loved to work and be helpful to others, and took great pride in his accomplishments. After 40 years of living in institutions housing people with disabilities, Alan was able to live with community support services for almost 30 years. He chose to live alone for most of that time, creating a home of his own and building great friendships with people throughout Madison. Alan enjoyed gathering his friends together to celebrate his birthday each year, taking as many trips as possible, dancing, and quiet time working on his puzzle books. In the words of his brother, "Alan lived a good life, and was loved by many." He will be greatly missed by his friends and family, and by those who supported him to live with maximum autonomy.

A gathering of friends will be held at Cress Funeral Home, 3610 Speedway Rd. Madison at 10 a.m. with a time for sharing beginning at 10:30 a.m. followed by a procession to Forest Hill Cemetery for a graveside service at 11 a.m.