John William Grant, Jr., 99, passed away Saturday, February 14, 2026. Services will be conducted on Saturday, February 21, 2026 at 11:00 a.m. at the Milledgeville First Methodist Church. Reverend Stephanie Caldwell will officiate. Interment will follow at Heritage Park Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, February 20, 2026 at Moores Funeral Home.
Johnny was born on June 11, 1926. He graduated from Moultrie High School and attended Georgia Military College before enlisting in the U.S. Navy in 1944. After World War II he returned to Milledgeville, graduated from GMC Junior College in 1947 and then attended the Western Pennsylvania Horological Institute under the GI Bill. Upon completing his courses in watchmaking in 1948, he returned to Milledgeville where he joined his Aunt Minnie and uncles Joe and James in the family jewelry business which had been started by his grandfather John Clark Grant. He earned his Certified Master Watchmaker designation in 1951 and tried to live up to the story told of his grandfather who was said to be able to fix anything including those new-fangled Model Ts if you could get them up on his watch bench.
He thrived on the challenges of watch and clock repair, the beauty of jewelry and gemstones, and the friendship and loyalty of his customers. He also proved wrong a belief of his grandfather Grant that politics and business don’t mix by serving 20 years as a Milledgeville City Councilman and 4 years as Mayor of Milledgeville while operating a thriving downtown business which is now 140 years old. Over the years he received many accolades and honors including Distinguished Jeweler of the Year from the Georgia Jewelers Association in 1997 and Jeweler of the Year in 1999 from the Southeastern Guild of the 24 Karat Club. He has been a Register Jeweler with the American Gem Society since 1958.
Johnny was predeceased by his wife, Zell Barnes Grant, his parents John W. Grant and Sara Maxwell Grant, his brother James Maxwell Grant and sister, Sara Grant Key. He is survived by his children, John W. Grant, III (Carol), Jean Grant Bayne (Victor), Carol Grant Vance (Ken), and Joseph Stewart Grant (Pam) all of Milledgeville, grandchildren, Jason Graham (Sissy), Jennifer Graham Stasney (Justin Jones), Rebecca Grant Cummiskey (Chris), Michael Grant (Candace), Daniel Grant (Rebecca), Emily Vance Goss, Jessica Grant Pilling (Reed), John Austin Vance (Kayli), Julianna Grant McGehee (Robert), seventeen great-grandchildren, numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Friends wishing to make donations in his memory should direct those to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Georgia Military College, or the Milledgeville First Methodist Church.
Moores Funeral Home and Crematory has charge of arrangements.
Funeral Ceremony
Saturday, February 21, 2026
11:00AM
First Methodist Church
366 Log Cabin Rd.
Milledgeville, GA 31061
The family will receive friends Friday from 6:00 until 7:30 p.m. at Moores Funeral Home.
