Ed Grady

Grady was born to Eddie Jones Grady and Maude Clara (née Hodges) Grady on August 31, 1923, in Kinston, North Carolina.[1][2] He graduated from Grainger High School in Kinston.[1] Grady enlisted in the Army Air Force during World War II and trained as a cryptographer. He served on Ie Shima (Iejima) during the war, and was awarded the Soldier's Medal for rescuing the pilot of a P-47 which was on fire.[1]

Grady received a Bachelor of Arts degree in theater and English from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) after World War II.[1] He was the member of the Carolina Playmakers at the Playmakers Theatre while studying at UNC.[1] Grady later became an English teacher in New York City, where he also taught a photo workshop held at Columbia University.[1][2]

Grady's film credits included A Simple Twist of Fate in 1994, Lolita in 1997, and The Notebook in 2004.[1] His television roles included the 1993 television miniseries, Alex Haley's Queen; the 1993 Hallmark Hall of Fame television movie, To Dance with the White Dog; as well as a string of series including In the Heat of the Night, I'll Fly Away, Matlock, and Dawson's Creek, in which he had a recurring role as Gramps Ryan.[1]

Grady's theater roles included three seasons at Unto These Hills, an outdoor Cherokee historical drama staged in Cherokee, North Carolina.[1] Grady portrayed Drowning Bear in the play, which follows the story of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.[1]

In addition to acting, Grady taught television production and English at Freedom High School in Morganton, North Carolina, during the 1970s[2] and Keenan High School in Columbia, South Carolina.[1] He was a resident of Columbia, South Carolina.[1]

Ed Grady died at Palmetto Health Richland hospital in Columbia, South Carolina, on December 10, 2012, at the age of 89.[1] His first wife, Jayne Elliott Grady, had died previously. He was survived by his second wife of 27 years, Carolyn F. Ramsay; two children, Marta and Sean; and two stepchildren, Caroline Hattrich and Stephen Hattrich.[1][2]

• Ed Grady at IMDb
• Ed Grady screenplay collection at the University of South Carolina Irvin Department of Rare Books and Special Collections.