TEXARKANA MAGAZINE
Grissom, the middle child, with his parents, Martha and Elvis Grissom, and two siblings. His family fostered his deep love for music.
Grissom’s family gathered for a photo on Mother’s Day 2022. (l-R) Jenna Blue, Addie Blue, Matt Blue, Trenton Blue, Kathy Grissom, Ed Grissom, Jessica Grissom, and Robert Beasley. photo by Kate Silva
wanted to inspire others to love being in the school band like I did. I wanted kids to find their purpose through their love of music.” Throughout his life, Grissom learned to play multiple instruments beyond the trombone, including the piano and bass guitar. “If I had to choose, the bass guitar would be my favorite because it has given me the chance to play in a lot of fun jazz bands around town.” After graduating from Henderson State University in 1981 with a degree in Music Education, Grissom began his 44- year career as a band director at Sheridan Junior High School. His path eventually led him to Texarkana, where he accepted a position at Pine Street with Texarkana Independent School District. There, mutual friends introduced him to Kathy, the woman who would become his wife. Today, the couple has been married for nearly 37 years. Together, they have raised two daughters, Jessica and Jenna, in a home filled with the same joy and creativity that music has always brought to Grissom’s life. “Growing up, our house was always full of music,” Grissom said. “My parents (Martha and Elvis Grissom) instilled a love for it in me, and I’ve tried to do the same with my girls.” Throughout his career, Grissom taught in various schools and programs, always leaving a mark wherever he went. “I have taught some of the best musicians in the Ark-La-Tex,” he said proudly. Even after retiring from Pleasant Grove High School in 2015, Grissom found himself called back to the classroom in 2019 when he was asked
to return to Pleasant Grove and start a jazz band. For him, it was an easy “yes!” It was a dream gig for someone who sees jazz as a way of life. “Jazz is more than just a genre,” he said. “It’s a way to express yourself through your music, and to know I would get to teach this lifestyle to students was very exciting to me.” He also added a guitar class to the curriculum. “There’s no better street cred,” he explained, “than being in high school and knowing how to play the guitar.” “I want to thank Pleasant Grove for letting me take this dream and run with it.” Just as a melody in a song can be unpredictable and take us to all sorts of unexpected places, so is life. Grissom’s diagnosis came and, with it, fear and confusion. “At first, I was scared and became depressed,” he admits. “To know that I have an incurable and inoperable cancer was the hardest news to accept. But over the past eight months, my faith has helped me move forward. Trusting in God’s promise to me has kept me at peace… I’ve accepted this diagnosis through lots of prayer—my own and the prayers from my community. I’ve felt the love through every one of them. My hope comes from knowing that I have been promised eternal life in my healed heavenly body. My encouragement comes from my family, friends, community, and students who have made me feel loved, appreciated, and remembered.” Grissom is especially grateful for his family. “My wife has been my rock,” he said. “She cared for me and held true to her vows to me, in sickness and in health.
Grissom and his wife, Kathy, on New Year’s Eve 1987, before marrying on June 19, 1988. Today they are celebrating nearly 37 years of marriage.
I am forever grateful for her strength. And our children have stepped up and held our family together. This was not the life I promised them, but sometimes God has a different plan.” Grissom’s daughter, Jenna, explained, “To care for someone who once cared for me is one of the greatest honors of my life. Spending every chance I get with my dad since his diagnosis, we have created memories I will cherish and hold close to my heart forever. I am so proud of who my dad is and how strong he has kept his faith. I hope that one day there’s a cure for
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LIFE & STYLE
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