Willard Groover

Willard is survived by his wife of 53 years, Deb, their son, Jesse, the family of Pam Vaughn Farley, the family of Lee Vaughn, aunts Rita Broyles and Suzi Bowen, and his faithful feline companion, Mr. Mittens (who had seven kittens in the back of a Mercedes Benz).

Educated in Etowah County schools from Attalla Elementary to Etowah High, Willard began his secondary education at Gadsden State Community College where he majored in Computer Science. Working his way through the ranks of various companies, Willard took his experience as a Systems Analyst honed from Alabama to Alaska and opened his own company, VGI. Retiring in 2007, he turned his focus from the sciences to the arts. He was offered the opportunity to enroll in online classes at Harvard where he approached the classes with the intense focus that was his typical style for living his life. He studied Greek literature, music, American literature, and English literature. Willard’s favorite classes were under Dr. Stephen Greenblatt where he earned his certificate in Shakespeare Studies.

Willard enjoyed gardening, painting, music, and spending time with Deb and Jesse. He and Jesse could be seen in the front yard dueling with fencing foils or light sabers depending on the course of study at the moment. They also discussed literature, music, philosophy, art, movies, and anything odd that popped up on the news. When given his diagnosis Willard said, “I will fight until the day that I die. But if my time is short, I have lived a good life. A wonderful life. I would not change a thing.”

Deb and Jesse would like to express special thanks to Jennifer Belyeu, Helen Companion, Erica Williams, Father Vincent, and Chaplain Eric. These kind people went the extra mile to bring Willard peace and comfort.

Since Willard requested that there be no formal service, there will be no flowers. But Jesse and Deb request that, in lieu of flowers, please read Shakespeare or Whitman or Dickinson or at the least take a moment to think critically of the world around you.