William Paul “Sweet William” Grishaw, age 75, peacefully passed away on Monday, October 1, 2018. Born in Winston Salem, NC on May 1, 1943 and then moved to New Orleans when he was 2 years old. Billy attended St. Ann, St. Aloysius, and McDonough schools. He was an honorable member of the United States Air Force.
Billy was predeceased by his parents Charles William Grishaw and Shirley Bourgeois Grishaw and his grandparents. Survived in death by his beloved wife of forty years Patricia Livaccari Grishaw, his loving children Vanessa Grishaw Cardella (Michael) and Tricia Marie Grishaw and his wonderful grandchildren Rosemarie, Michael, and Vincent Cardella as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
His charismatic and social personality led him to open Sweet William Saloon in 1978, followed by Napoli Restaurant, Sweet’s Again, and Sweet’s Bar and Grill. Sweets was a true believer in giving back to his community and was a founding member of the Aunts and Uncles of St. Michael’s Special School in New Orleans. He was dedicated to the children of St. Michael’s for over 40 years and participated in a variety of charitable golf tournaments. He was very active in numerous Mardi Gras organizations and was honored to be King of Rhea in 1984 and the Irish Grand Marshal of the Irish Italian Parade in 2000.
Relatives and friends are invited to attend a Funeral Mass in the chapel of Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd., New Orleans, on Saturday, October 6, 2018 at 11 a.m. Public visitation begins at 9 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations to St. Michael’s Special School in the name of William Grishaw are requested.
To leave condolences and sign the Funeral Guest Book online, please visit www.lakelawnmetairie.com
