Jack Willard O'Grady II

Jack W. O’Grady II, 68, of Cleveland, TN, passed away on Wednesday, July 25, 2018.

Jack was born in Belleville, IL in 1950. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War and was a recipient of the Air Medal. After completing his service, Jack attended college at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and earned a master’s degree at Texas A&M University. 

Jack moved to Tennessee in 1980.  He worked for the Olin Corporation for nine years before joining Bowater Inc., where he was Director of Environmental Affairs for nearly twenty years.  From 2009 until his retirement in 2015, Jack was Manager of Environmental Regulatory & Legislative Affairs at TVA.  Over the course of his career, Jack led numerous state and local committees, including the Tennessee Solid & Hazardous Waste Control Board, the Tennessee Paper Council, the Cleveland Associated Industries Environmental Board, and the Bradley County Sanitation Board.

Jack enjoyed wilderness hiking, travel, nature photography, gardening, playing board games, homebrewing, and the culinary arts.  He had a larger-than-life personality and loved making people laugh. 

Jack is preceded in death by his parents, Jack and Betty Grady. 

He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Sally L. O’Grady of Cleveland; three children, daughter Beth (Derek) Young of Soddy-Daisy, son Ty O’Grady of Chattanooga, and son Sean O’Grady of Baltimore, MD; two grandchildren, Chloe Young of Soddy-Daisy and Jack O’Grady of Chattanooga; two sisters, Sandra O’Grady of Longmont, CO and Pat Wells of Kansas City, MO; uncle Gene Grady of Lathrop, MO; and numerous nieces and nephews. 

A memorial service will be held at 6 p.m. on Saturday, July 28, 2018 in the chapel of Ralph Buckner Funeral Home. 

 The family will receive friends from 4-6 p.m. on Saturday at the funeral home prior to the service.

We invite you to send a message of condolence and view the O’Grady family guestbook at www.ralphbuckner.com.