Chief Aviation Machinists Mate (ADC) David Wayne “Bear” Grimsley, USN (Ret.), 66 of Odenton, MD (formerly of Lexington Park, MD) passed away on August 23, 2020 at Howard County General Hospital in Columbia, MD.
He was born on October 3, 1953 in Portsmouth, VA to the late Oscar Griggs Grimsley and Rose “Jean” Armstrong Grimsley.
Bear joined the United States Navy in 1970 and proudly served until his retirement as Chief Aviation Machinists Mate (ADC) on May 31, 1992. During his 22 dedicated years of service he earned various awards and medals. These include but are not limited to the Vietnam Service Medal with 1 Star, Vietnam Campaign Service Medal, Navy Pistol Marksmanship Award (Expert), and Navy Rifle Marksmanship Award (Expert). He also developed a new personal qualification standard (PQS) for the Enlisted Aviation Warfare Specialist (EAWS) program. He was the first in the Navy to earn wings for this pace setting program that was instituted Fleet wide. After retiring from the U.S. Navy he was employed as a Program Manager for BAE for 20 dedicated years, before retiring in 2014.
On September 18, 1993, he married his beloved wife, Leila Povlic Grimsley at St. Nicholas Chapel, Patuxent River, MD. The marriage included Leila’s daughter Gina Fiorentino, who Bear lovingly raised as his own daughter. Bear and Leila celebrated over 27 wonderful years of marriage. Bear enjoyed woodworking and was a skilled craftsman, skills he learned and perfected by watching his maternal grandfather. He made many pieces of furniture including a beautiful wine cabinet, end tables, bookcases, and pens. Bear enjoyed vacationing, especially in the mountains and loved the beautiful views. An avid fan of the San Francisco 49er’s he cheered them on faithfully each football season. Bear had an affinity for his pet dogs through the years. He loved spending time on the water on his pontoon boat fishing and taking trips on the Patuxent River. But his ultimate love was for his family, especially his granddaughters, Ella and Aubrey.
He was an active member of the Southern Maryland Corvette Club, serving as a past Vice President. He loved his “73 Big Block,” which he wanted because he completed his tour in Vietnam in 1973. As a lifetime member of the NRA, Bear was an instructor who taught classes in gun safety, shooting, and reloading. He held a membership at Saunders Lake where he enjoyed recreational shooting.
In addition to his beloved wife, Leila, Bear is also survived by his daughters, Gina Fiorentino Ingel (Bobby) of Pasadena, MD and Dannette Bailey of Plainfield, IL; his granddaughters, Daniella Ingel and Aubrey Ingel; his brother, Steve Grimsley (Lisa) of Cape Coral, FL. In addition to his parents, he was also preceded in death by his brother, Richard Grimsley (Angie) of Cincinnati, OH.
Family will receive friends on Friday, August 28, 2020 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. with a Funeral Service officiated by Pastor Trish Watson at 6:00 p.m. at Brinsfield Funeral Home, 22955 Hollywood Road, Leonardtown, MD 20650. Interment will be held at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Dementia Society, Inc. www.dementiasociety.org/, Alzheimer’s Association www.alz.org/, or the American Heart Association www.heart.org/.
Condolences to the family may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com.
Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home, P.A.
