Daniel Joseph Grenat

Daniel Grenat was born to Lewis and Imogene Grenat on March 6th, 1954, in Lafayette, IN. The youngest of three boys, Dan was a force of nature – weighing in at 8.5lbs at birth, he would continue to grow and grow and grow. A true mama’s boy, one of Dan’s favorite memories, was the time she shamed an entire baseball team and their fan base, for making fun of and asking for his proof-of-age, as they just couldn’t believe the giant kid on the field was under 10. While his height was a certain advantage, he was a natural athlete, and more importantly, he worked hard. At Harrison High School, in West Lafayette, Dan played in the 1971 Indiana All-State game and was an All-American Honorable mention the same year. Dan was offered a full athletic scholarship to attend and play football at the University of Miami in Coral Gables FL, where he played four years as a defensive tackle and also filled in on the offensive line; he graduated with a Bachelor of Business in 1976. As one can imagine, Dan had MANY visitors for spring break, his Indiana friends couldn’t wait to visit South Florida. Including one, Liz Johnson, who had known Dan, and been friends with him, since middle school. After a spring break visit, their senior year, the rest was history, and Dan moved back to the Midwest where Liz and Dan married in 1976. They settled in Bloomington, IN and had Joseph Lewis Grenat on November 16th, 1978, and Sarah Susan Grenat on April 10th, 1982. While Dan and Liz separated soon after, they always remained committed to raising Joe & Sarah as a united front and led with love. They remained dear friends and continued to love each other until the very end, which Liz was present for. Dan had a BIG personality and many nicknames including Danny, Big Dan, Big D, and his personal favorite, “Des Grandes”. Prior to Dan running a successful construction framing business in Bloomington, he was a well-known and favored employee of local restaurants: Pancho’s Vila and Trojan Horse. Whether cooking/managing at Pancho’s or slinging drinks at Trojan Horse, Dan made many friends and wherever he was, he was a known reliable and hard worker. In addition to hard work, a core value Dan taught Joe & Sarah is that we are all a product of our circumstances and that no one person is better than the other, and he showed it every day in how he treated all with kindness and respect. Dan’s greatest joy came late in life as Grandfather to Emmagene (13) and Pandora (6) Grenat & George (13) and Ellie (11) Cowley. Also known as “Danny the Manny”, he was a full-time nanny for Sarah’s two kids (George & Ellie) from their birth until school age and helped keep the house running (and parent’s their sanity). While far from Joe’s girls (Emmagene and Pandy), in Florida, Dan loved every moment he got to spend with them. Silly at heart, he was a natural “Papa” and “Grandpa Dan” and he could keep them entertained and giggling for hours on end. In his final act of kindness, Dan donated his brain and spinal cord to CTE and Concussion Research through Boston University where they focus research on “long-term consequences of repetitive brain trauma in athletes, military personnel, first responders, victims of physical violence, and others affected by head trauma.” If you are able, please donate in Dan’s memory to BU and their CTE research center. Donation · Boston University ·GiveCampus

Daniel Joseph Grenat

March 6, 2026 - August 20, 2026