Paul Anthony Groves

Paul Anthony Groves, 54, of Lewis Center, Ohio, passed into the loving arms of our savior, Jesus Christ, on October 2, 2025, after a courageous three-year battle with Glioblastoma brain cancer. He was surrounded by his loving family as he entered into eternal life in heaven.

Paul was born on September 29, 1971, to parents Larry and Mary (Pena) Groves in London, Ohio. He grew up in Sunbury, Ohio, graduating from Big Walnut High School in 1990. He entered into the Army under the delayed entry program in 1989.

On January 11, 1990, Paul met the love of his life, Tracie. He was out with friends, including Tracie’s sister, Lisa, when they stopped by Tracie’s apartment. Tracie came down the stairs and found Paul standing alone in her living room. After introductions, Tracie used her big opening line, “So, Paul, how tall are you?” They went on their first date a few days later. They were engaged on September 27, 1990.

Paul left for the Army in July 1990, attending basic training at Ft. Jackson, SC, and completing further training at Ft. Gordon, GA. Upon completion of his training, he was assigned to a one-year tour of duty at Camp Hovey Army base in Dongducheon, Gyeonggi Province in South Korea in 1991. Upon his return to the United States, he and Tracie were married on January 11, 1992, exactly two years to the day that they met. They moved to Virginia immediately, where Paul served another year of active duty at Ft. Lee in Petersburg, VA. After his active duty was completed, they returned to Ohio where he completed the remainder of his service in The Ohio Army National Guard, serving with the 16th Engineer Brigade in Columbus, OH. He left the service as a Sergeant in 2000 after 11 years of service.

The military offered Paul the chance to go to college, using the GI Bill and education money from the National Guard. He started at Columbus State Community College and transferred to Franklin University, where he received his BA in Business Administration, graduating Summa Cum Laude in 1999.

Upon his return to Ohio from Virginia in 1993, Paul started working at Safelite Auto Glass in the mail room. He left Safelite as the AVP of Supply Chain Analytics after almost 30 years of dedicated service. Paul was a three-time Safelite Wall of Fame winner and a Business First “40 under 40” award recipient in 2010. The people at Safelite and the vendors that he worked with were like family to him and he acquired life-long friends from his time there. Without a doubt, his favorite perk of the job was all the golfing he was able to do, “for charity” or “to make connections.” Those two things were a significant part of Paul’s life, making him the wonderful man he was.

Paul served many charities, giving his time and resources to ones that held a special place in his heart, such as the Columbus Komen Race for the Cure and LifeCare Alliance Meals on Wheels. Paul served on the Board of Directors for The Furniture Bank of Central Ohio where he was Chairman before his tenure was up. Paul participated in every Furniture Bank Bed Race until he was diagnosed with Glioblastoma in 2022. This year, the Furniture Bank and Safelite honored him by naming the bed race, the Paul Grove’s Rally for a Furnished Future, an honor that brought him to tears. Paul was also a founding Board member for Take Heart Cancer Community, where they believe that no one impacted by cancer and other chronic illnesses should go through it alone. Paul firmly believed that Jesus was walking his journey with him every day and he leaned into his faith to face his cancer. Paul also participated in the American Brain Tumor Association 5K for three years after his diagnosis, earning top fundraising honors all three years. Paul spent his life serving others and living as Jesus would.

Paul’s renewed faith brought him even closer to God, allowing him to find a deeper peace and a purpose within the pain. His spirit grew stronger, and he enjoyed worshiping at LifePoint Church in Lewis Center with all of the “friends who are like family.” Paul saw God in all of the little everyday things, with each breath, each sunrise and sunset and in each person that he believed was placed in his life for a reason. Paul believed his suffering had meaning and he wanted to share his story of faith with everyone. Psalm 34:18 says “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Paul knew he was never alone and gratitude replaced resentment, despair turned into surrender, fear turned into hope and his soul was prepared for his coming home. He was a true inspiration to so many. Paul’s unwavering commitment to his family, friends and his community made him the heart of his family, a light in his community and a reflection of God’s grace.

Paul was a family man, who worked hard to provide and be present. He loved his daughters fiercely and was so incredibly proud of them. He wanted to be present for every milestone, every show, every event, cheering them on, offering his wisdom and leading by quiet example. He leaves behind a legacy of love that will live on in his daughters forever.

In addition to spending time with his family, Paul was an avid golfer, he loved to travel and especially enjoyed time at the lake. He was also a lover of all things Ohio State Buckeyes. Every Saturday, you would find him and Tracie watching or attending a game, cheering them on to victory.

Paul was welcomed into heaven by his parents, Larry Groves and Mary (Pena) Groves Morgan; and by his life-long friend, Todd Heine, who was like a brother to him.

Paul is survived by his loving wife of 33 years, Tracie; his cherished daughters, Lauryn and Alayna; his sister, Christene (Brian) Bain; his brother, Michael (Jennifer) Groves; his parents-in-law, Carl and Bonnie Roberts; his brother-in-law and sister-in-law Jeff and Ann Marie Roberts; his sister-in-law Lisa Cannon (Brett Block); his nephew, Matthew Roberts; his nieces, Kinsey (Ian) Bell, Erica Roberts, Ava Groves and Claire Groves; and his great nephew, Blake Bell; two fur babies, Cali and Eli; as well as numerous friends who were like family.

The family would like to extend their appreciation and love to their entire Care team at The James Cancer Hospital, and especially to Judy Lima and Alan Koontz who became family after fighting alongside us for three years. The warmth and care shown to the family will never be forgotten.

The family will receive visitors at Schoedinger Dublin, 5980 Perimeter Drive, Dublin, OH 43017, on Friday, October 10, 2025, from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM. Funeral services will be held at Schoedinger on Saturday, October 11, 2025, at 11:00 AM with a reception immediately following until 2:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Paul’s memory to Take Heart Cancer Community, The American Brain Tumor Association or The Furniture Bank of Central Ohio.