Marlborough, MA - Richard Joseph Grant, a lifelong advocate for social justice and mental health, passed away on August 26 at the age of 80 after a long illness. His beloved wife of 56 years, Bernadette Carol (Joseph) Grant, who also had been ill, died soon after on September 28 at the age of 79. Both were at their home in Marlborough, Massachusetts, surrounded by family.

Born and raised in Conneaut, Ohio, Richard was the son of Dr. Robert and Bernadette (Haren) Grant. Bernadette, affectionately known as "Cookie" while growing up, was born in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, the youngest of five children to Eugenie (Abousleiman) and Elias Joseph, both immigrants from Lebanon.

Richard attended high school in Ashtabula, Ohio, and spent a year at Maryknoll Seminary before continuing his education at Gannon University. He earned a Master of Social Work from Boston College and an MBA from Babson College. Bernadette graduated from St. Bernard's High School in Fitchburg and went on to College of Our Lady of the Elms, later earning her Master of Social Work from Boston College, where their shared passion for helping others began.

Richard, the third eldest in a large family, was the steady presence his siblings could always rely on. He had a unique ability to connect with people of all ages, bringing humor and warmth to every interaction. Bernadette, the youngest of her siblings, took on the role of a counselor within her family and community, always ready to give advice, solve problems and offer a listening ear.

After their marriage on May 26, 1968, in Fitchburg, their life as a couple began in a green Volkswagen Beetle as they embarked on a cross-country trek on the same day. On the way, they learned of Robert F. Kennedy's assassination. That journey west led them to Delano, California, where they joined Cesar Chavez in protesting the working conditions in the grape industry. This activism shaped their shared values, and for the next 15 years, they continued their boycott of grapes, refusing to purchase any at the grocery store.

Their professional lives mirrored each other's commitment to social justice, with both dedicating themselves to improving the lives of the most vulnerable.

Richard and Bernadette spent most of their careers working for the state of Massachusetts. Bernadette worked at the former Wrentham State School during the era of deinstitutionalization, helping individuals with developmental disabilities transition into community group homes. Later, she joined the Department of Mental Health, where she led a team supporting people living with mental illness. Richard was a unit director at the former Cushing Hospital, a state-run nursing home, and at the former Westborough State Hospital, where he helped patients with their transition to living at the facility.

In 1993, Richard and Bernadette took up a new adventure, selling their home after their daughters, Madeline and Andrea, graduated from college. They spent four years in Nairobi, Kenya, as part of a Maryknoll mission. Richard taught business development in the Lunga Lunga slum, while Bernadette registered families for health and education services, their work always focused on lifting others up through compassion and practical support.

Returning to Massachusetts in 1997, Richard and Bernadette embraced their roles as grandparents, welcoming five grandchildren into the world over the span of six years.

Richard and Bernadette remained active well into their later years. They had a vigorous sports regimen, which included tennis, swimming, yoga and daily walks. Richard continued working as a counselor until shortly before entering hospice care. Bernadette's spunk endured to the end. On the day her legs would no longer support her, she requested dumbbells so she could exercise her arms.

Richard and Bernadette are survived by their daughters, Madeline Colety and her husband, Parris Kellermann, of Reading, Vermont, and Andrea Swenson of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, as well as five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Bernadette is also survived by her sisters, Elaine Joseph, formerly of Falmouth, Massachusetts, and Arlington, Virginia, now residing in Marlborough, and Madeline Strasser and her husband, Jurgen, of Lafayette, California.

Richard's surviving siblings include Andrew Grant; his twin, the Rev. Robert Grant; Stephen Grant and his wife, Rita; Philip Grant; Mary Cocuzzi and her husband, Enzo; all of Conneaut, Ohio; Kathryn Padilla and her husband, David, of Falls Church, Virginia; Christopher Grant of Mequon, Wisconsin; and Paul Grant of Baltimore.

A memorial service will be held at the St. Francis Cabrini Church 744 Mill St. Conneaut at 11:00AM on May 24, and a reception immediately thereafter at the church hall. Friends of the Grant family are welcome to attend.