Grant Bull,

Grant was born in Ellensburg, WA, the only child of Grant Sr. and Margaret Larson Bull. About 1927, the family moved to Seattle and settled in the University District. Grant graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1940. His main extra-curricular activity in high school was running the movie camera at school events; taking home movies was one of his favorite hobbies throughout life. He was the ?first on the block? to own a movie camera and then a video camera. He managed to pass the ?video gene? down to his son, Jeff, who works as a video editor, and to a grandson who is currently in film school.

In the fall of 1940, Grant began studying electrical engineering at the University of Washington. He enrolled in ROTC and was called to active duty in April 1943. He was a Second Lieutenant in the Army Signal Corps and served in the Philippines until August 1946. On a nine-day leave in March of 1945, he married Margaret Peringer, the ?pretty redhead? he had met during his university days. He returned home 17 months later to Margaret and their first child, Jackie, born while he was away.

Grant finished his degree at the UW, and then took a job in 1947 as an electrical engineer with Puget Sound Power & Light now known as Puget Sound Energy. He continued there for 35 years. From 1958 ? 1963, he represented Puget at ICP the Inter-Company Pool located at Washington Water Power in Spokane and moved the growing family to Spokane for five and a half years. On Halloween night in 1963, the family returned to western Washington and settled in the Clyde Hill area of Bellevue. In later, years, Grant traveled to Wenatchee monthly as Puget?s purchasing representative to the Mid-Columbia Power Pool. He had a special talent for negotiating without offending his colleagues, for which he was highly respected. Grant took early retirement in 1982.

While living in Spokane, Grand and Margaret purchased their first boat, naming it the ?Like-A-Bull.? Favorite destinations near Spokane were Lake Coeur d?Alene and Priest Lake, ID. After moving to Bellevue, most family vacations were spent boating in the San Juan Islands, with Grant often wearing his ?I?m a Boat Nut? t-shirt.

Grant was known for his crew cut, bow ties, and ever-present smile. No one was a stranger to him and he loved to introduce himself as, ?Grant Bull, just plain bull.? He liked to call people by name and always kept a list of names in his shirt pocket to help him do this. He was a great handyman -- having built his and Margaret?s first home in Settle -- and was often found at neighbors? homes helping out with some repair. He enjoyed participating in the Toastmasters Club weekly for several years. He was also active in politics, serving as precinct committeeman and a member of the John Birch Society. He was very generous, donating to his church and other causes, and sacrificing to send all three of his children to Bellevue Christian School.

Grant began attending the Lutheran church in 1962 in Spokane. He later joined the Anglican Church and became an ordained deacon. For 25 years he held Sunday services at a Bellevue nursing home and visited the residents weekly every Wednesday. In 1988, Grant and Margaret began attending Westminster Chapel in Bellevue. Grant leaves a wonderful spiritual legacy: all three of his children are walking with the Lord and all have been involved in mission work; all thirteen of his grandchildren are also walking with the Lord; and three little great-granddaughters are being raised in a Christian home.

At the age of 25, Grant was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The disease went into remission until his late 50?s. Since then, the disease progressed slowly, first affecting his balance and later his respiratory system. He used a walker for several years, went into a wheelchair permanently in 1997, and entered nursing care four and a half years ago. Throughout his ordeal, he remained cheerful, never lost his sense of humor and modeled a great attitude.

He was preceded in death by his daughter, Jackie, in 1951. He is survived by Margaret, his wife of 62 years; daughters Judy Talbott of Redmond, and Lesley Herzog and husband Steve of Bothell; and son, Jeff Bull and wife Tammy of Colorado Springs, CO; also thirteen grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

He will be greatly missed!

God saw you were getting tired ~

and cure was not to be.

So He put His arms around you

and whispered ~ come with Me.

With tearful eyes we watched you suffer

and slowly fade away.

Although we loved you dearly

We could not make you stay.

A golden heart stopped beating

Working hands were put to rest

God broke our hearts to prove to us

He only takes the best.