DONALD H. GRUBB
Died Oct. 13, 2006
Donald Hartman Grubb, 81, of 162 Wee Loch Drive, Cary, died Friday night at Glenaire.
A native of West Chester, Pa., he moved to North Carolina in 1973. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania, where he was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society and graduated with Honors. He later received his Masters Degree from American University in Washington, D. C. and did graduate work at New York University.
Don served in the U.S. Army from 1943 to 1946 including service in Europe in the 84th Infantry Division. He worked in the U. S. Treasury Department in Washington, D. C. from 1949 to 1957. In 1953, he was awarded the Meritorious Civilian Service Award for outstanding service in the Treasury Department. In 1957, he received the Meritorious Award for Exemplary Achievement in Public Administration given by the William A. Jump Memorial Foundation. He worked for Westvaco Paper Company in New York City and Hoboken, N. J., and then went to work for Huyck Corporation in Nova Scotia, Canada and later in Tennessee. In 1973, he became President and Chief Executive Officer of Huyck Corporation, a company with worldwide operations. In 1973 Grubb moved the corporate headquarters of Huyck to Wake Forest, N. C.
After retiring from Huyck in 1981, he established a management consulting business serving companies in the U. S. and Europe. He also served as a Director for a number of companies in the United States and the United Kingdom, including the Raleigh Branch of Wachovia Bank, Morganite Inc., National Electrical Carbon Co., Carbon Technology Inc., Morganite Electrical Carbon Co. Ltd., Carbon Product Operations Inc. and Goodberry's Creamery Inc. He has been recognized by inclusion in Who's Who, Who's Who in Industry and various other Who's Who publications.
After retirement, Don developed and taught a seminar program in management at the Business School at Campbell University for seven years. This seminar was designed to serve as a transition for the senior business school students from the academic world to the world of business. His support of education led him to establish scholarship funds in North Carolina State University, Campbell University and West Chester University in Pennsylvania. He also made certain that his eleven grandchildren were provided with the opportunity to obtain a university degree if they were motivated to achieve this goal.
Don served as Chairman of the Board of the N.C. World Trade Association and was on the Boards of the N.C. State University Pulp and Paper Foundation, the N.C. State University Engineering School Foundation, the N.C. State University Humanities Foundation and the Advisory Board of the N.C. State Unversity Engineering School. He also served as the President of the N.C. State University Friends of the College for two years. He was a director of the Blanchard Fraser Hospital in Kentville, Nova Scotia and the Wake Medical Center in Raleigh, N.C. He was a Director of the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, a Director of the Chamber of Commerce in Greeneville, Tenn. and active in the U. S. Chamber of Commerce. He was also President of the Glenaire Presbyterian Home Foundation Board. He was a member of the Hudson Memorial Presbyterian Church, and over the years held many officer positions there. He was also a member of the North Raleigh Rotary Club.
In 1975, Don led the work to establish the Group of Fifty in the Triangle Area, and was the first President of that group. This group is still active today serving as a means to bring the leaders of the Triangle Community together to work, to share experience, and to work for improvements in the area.
Don and his wife Jean moved to the Glenaire Retirement Community in Cary in 2003.
Don is survived by his wife of 60 years, Jean Flounders Grubb; three children, daughters, Donna Grubb Kanich and her husband Robert, of Raleigh, Deborah Grubb Jackson and her husband James, of Wilmington, son Donald Philip Grubb and his wife Rhonda of Goldsboro; eleven grandchildren, Heather Miller, Eric Miller and his wife Mandy, Jennifer Jackson Valentine and her husband, Colin, Bobby, Andy, Joann, Jason, and Matt Jackson, Jamie, Ryan and Christin Grubb; brother Harold Richard Grubb and his wife Delores.
A memorial service will be held at Hudson Memorial Presbyterian Church, Raleigh at 2 p.m. on Tuesday. Dr. Robert Fields will officiate.
In lieu of flowers, donations should be made to the Grubb Family Scholarship Fund, Campbell University, Buies Creek, N.C. 27506, or to the Hudson Memorial Presbyterian Church, 4921 Six Forks Road, Raleigh, N.C. 27615.
(Written & Paid by the Family)
Published in Obituaries on October 15, 2006 8:45 AM