Dr. Roy Edward Grant

Dr. Roy Edward Grant was born on March 3, 1939, in Rossville, Georgia, to Charles Roy Grant and Mable Knight Grant. His life was deeply shaped by faith, family, music, and service to others, and he leaves behind a legacy that touched countless lives.

Roy is survived by his beloved wife of 59 years, Beatrice Wright Grant; his daughters, Beverly Grant and Melanie Grant; his son-in-law, Ben Morgan; and his grandson, Walker Morgan, one of the greatest joys of his life. Nothing made Roy happier than playing softball in the yard with his girls, throwing a football with Walker, or fishing—especially if one of his girls was in the boat with him.

Roy graduated from Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City, Tennessee, with a bachelor’s degree in Church Music and Psychology. He went on to earn a master’s degree in Church Music from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, where he also pursued additional study in the Psychology of Religion. During his years in Louisville, Roy received his first training in music therapy, working alongside music therapists at a hospital serving individuals with mental illness. It was also at the Seminary that he met his future wife, Beatrice Wright, and they were married there on January 14, 1967.

Music was Roy Grant’s lifeblood. He loved telling the story of dreaming about the circle of fifths at just eight years old—before he had ever received formal music education. He taught himself to play the piano and often told his students that learning to play by ear was essential. Roy played piano, autoharp, and guitar, and had a beautiful singing voice. Roy sang in a quartet called The Victorairs with his brother Bernard, accompanied on piano by their sister Ramona, and they served as the opening act for The Blackwoods at gospel concerts.

Roy began his professional career working in music therapy at a state hospital in Kentucky and later served as Chaplain and Director of Music at the Kentucky State Penitentiary. He was then invited to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to serve as Chaplain and Music Therapist at Bryce Hospital, which at the time housed more than 5,000 patients. There, Roy led music therapy groups throughout the hospital, including a choir that traveled across Alabama demonstrating the power of music in the treatment of mental illness.

In 1970, Roy was invited to become the first doctoral student in Music Therapy at the University of Georgia. While completing his doctorate, he also fulfilled the requirements to become a Registered Music Therapist. Appointed by Dr. Richard Graham, Roy served as the Music Therapy representative responsible for supervising students and developing music therapy programs within the university’s clinic for children with developmental disabilities. He earned his doctorate in 1972 and worked at the clinic for 26 years.

Roy served as Clinical Director of the UGA Music Therapy Program for 23 years and Director for six years. After the clinic closed in 1996, Roy and his students expanded music therapy services into new settings, including the Intensive Treatment Program at Miles Street and the NICU at Athens Regional Medical Center. Roy retired in 2001 as an Associate Professor at the University of Georgia and was granted Emeritus status.

Even in retirement, his work continued. For the next 14 years, Roy remained actively involved in the UGA Music Therapy program, supervising students who brought music therapy into local memory care facilities. In later years, he focused exclusively on individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, continuing to bring music therapy into these settings as a volunteer. In 2002, Roy was honored with the National Association of Music Therapists’ Lifetime Achievement Award.

Roy was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Ramona; and his brothers, Tommy and Bernard. He is also survived by his brother, Larry Grant (Debbie) of Ringgold, Georgia, and his sister, Yvonne Hood (Sam) of Moncks Corner, South Carolina.

Outside of his professional life, Roy loved hunting, fishing, and spending time in the woods. He cherished the mountains and spent many hours sightseeing in Colorado. To those who did not know him well, Roy could seem stern—but to those who did, he was known for his dry, perfectly timed sense of humor, often delivered with a half-smile and, if you were lucky, a wink.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, February 7, at 2:00 p.m., in the Bernstein Funeral Home Chapel. Interment will be in Evergreen Memorial Park. The service will be live-streamed at https://www.facebook.com/BernsteinFuneral/

The family will receive friends Friday, February 6, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., at Bernstein Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Roy Grant Music Therapy Scholarship at https://gail.uga.edu/commit?search=75566003&desonly=1

Bernstein Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.