Frank Grandville, 29, a young man who helped others

Francis James "Frank" Grandville of 109 Olcott Way, a computer operator who often lent a helping hand to others, died Wednesday, March 22, 2000, at his home after a long illness. He was 29 years old.
"Francis would assist anyone who was in need of help, anytime, anyplace," said his mother. "He loved giving. He couldn't sleep the night before Christmas because he was so anxious to give everyone his gifts."
Frank Grandville was born on Jan. 24, 1971, in Stephenville, Newfoundland, Canada, and came to the United States on Aug. 17, 1972 when, at the age of 18 months, he was adopted by his parents, Marilyn and Frank Grandville, then of the Bronx.
The family moved to Simsbury in 1976 and then to Ridgefield in 1980. Mr. Grandville attended Veterans Park School, East Ridge Junior High, and Ridgefield High School.
Throughout his youth, he had many interests. "At the age of four, he taught himself how to read so he could read the TV Guide and demand his TV programs when his sister said they were not on," Mrs. Grandville recalled. "At the age of six, he taught himself how to ice skate."
As he boy, he rode horses, swam, skied, played soccer and Little League baseball, and learned to juggle. He acted in the Spotlight Summer Theater's production of Oklahoma! and had been a Boy Scout.
When he was 15, Mr. Grandville created his own skateboard club, Ground Zero, which was featured in a two-page spread in The Press as part of a feature promoting the need for a safe place in town for skaters.
He played bass guitar and formed a band, Sinister Ace, and at 15, earned a brown belt in karate.
Over his teenage and adult years, Mr. Grandville worked at many businesses in the village, including Pickles, Venice Pizza, Caldor, Grand Union, and Gail's Station House. When he was 21, he became a manager of Subway and also at Burgerloo's. For the past five years, he had been a computer operator at Pitney Bowes.
Mr. Grandville had belonged to both the Ridgefield Volunteer Fire Department and the West Redding Fire Department, and had trained as an EMT. He had been a volunteer at Danbury Hospital and at Bread & Roses hospice in Georgetown.
In describing Mr. Grandville's desire to help others, his mother told of the time Frank, then 10, noticed a wheelchair-bound woman moving into a nearby apartment. He helped her from the ambulance to her new unit and then offered his assistance whenever she needed it. "He came every day after school to help her," his mother said. Sometime later, the neighbor knocked on the door and explained to the Grandvilles how their son had been assisting her. They were stunned. "He never told anyone what he was doing," Mrs. Grandville said.
About two years ago, his mother took him to Newfoundland to see where he was born and to meet his birth mother. "He had a wonderful reunion with her and her family," she said. "He stayed with them for a week and they made him feel like he was one of them. When he came back, he filmed all his favorite places here so they could see his life in Ridgefield."
Besides his parents, Mr. Grandville is survived by a sister, Mary T. Grandville of Stamford; several aunts, including Kathleen Rogan of New York City and Catherine DeMarco of Coconut Creek, Fla; several uncles, including George Grandville of Lakewood, N.J.; and several cousins.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Monday in St. Mary's Church, Burial was in St. Mary's Cemetery.
Contributions in his memory may be made to the Crisis Intervention Program, Ridgefield High School, 700 North Salem Road, Ridgefield CT 06877.
The Kane Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.