Charles "Doug" Grisham

Elizabeth Stead Grisham. He grew up in the Capitol Hill area of Oklahoma City, graduating from Capitol Hill High School in 1957. He attended Central State College for two years. He departed this life on April 10, 2023 at the age of 84.

During his last years of high school, he took cabinet making classes, and that was the beginning of his life's work of cabinet making and later homebuilding. He had a wonderful and successful career as a homebuilder in Oklahoma City and Edmond. During their thirty-year marriage, Doug and Pat worked together as Doug Grisham Homes.

Doug was first married to Sharon Kay Kordelski with whom he had two children, Darla Jane, and Steven Douglas. On November 8, 1991, Doug was united in marriage to Patricia Ann Washington and they celebrated their thirty-first anniversary in November 8, 2022.

As a young boy, he learned the value of hard work. At age eleven, he would ride the bus to his dad’s parking lot in downtown Oklahoma City where he would work every day after school. He saved his money and that is how he purchased first car.

Throughout his life, he was an avid outdoorsman. As a young boy, he would go on hunting trips with his grandmother. In high school, he completed his training and obtained his Eagle Scout designation. His love of the outdoors extended throughout his life. He was proud of his 53 consecutive years of elk hunting in Colorado, his 7 years of moose hunting in Canada and many Quail hunting trips to western Oklahoma with his lifelong friend, Jack Jones. He loved to recount his hunting stories in detail.

Doug relished visiting with family and friends. He loved telling stories of his youth, former and current friends, his adventures, and fishing and hunting tales. (Those of you who learned of these exploits remember, if he forgot something he would sometimes start over, back to kindergarten.)

Doug is survived by his wife, Pat Grisham, Daughter Darla Smith, and Son Steven Grisham, his grandchildren Ryan Smith, Kyle Grisham, and Kevin Grisham, DVM, his nieces Nancy, Cheryl, and Carol. He also is survived by his stepdaughters Kelly and Shelly and their children and grandchildren. Doug was preceded in death by his parents Arley Douglas Grisham and Mary Elizabeth Grisham, and his sister Onita.

A visitation for Doug will be held Thursday, April 13, 2023 from 1:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Bill Merritt Funeral Service, 6201 Northwest 39th Expressway, Bethany, OK 73008. The family will be available to greet friends from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm. A celebration of life will occur Friday, April 14, 2023 at 2:00 PM in the Bill Merritt Memorial Chapel with interment at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.billmerrittfuneralservice.com for the Grisham family.