William “Bill” Grace, Jr.

William Bryant Grace, Jr., known affectionately by his close friends and family as Bill, entered his earthly home on October 21, 1963, in Tucson, Arizona, to William Bryant Grace, Sr. and the late Carolyn Grace (Wright). At the age of three, the family relocated to Cincinnati, Ohio in 1966.

After his mom’s untimely death in 1979, Bill resided with a lifelong friend and his family headed by Ms. Ruby Williams, along with her children James, John and Elizabeth (Lynn). Bill always spoke affectionately about his new-found family, especially James, as he considered him not only a brother, but a close friend and confidant.

Bill attended Cincinnati Public Schools, including Cincinnati’s prestigious School for Creative and Performing Arts (SCPA). During his tenure at SCPA, he was a highly regarded and recognized student and performer, selected during his high school tenure to play the role of the Scarecrow in the screenplay “The Wiz”. Bill and the entire cast of SCPA’s version of the Wiz were invited to perform at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C., where a yellow brick road was created for the performance.

Upon graduating from SCPA in 1981, Bill attended the University of Cincinnati where he majored in Music and Arts. Thereafter, he joined the Army National Guard as a Food Service Specialist. Following his discharge from the Army National Guard, Bill pursued his career path and worked as Head Chef of a popular Cincinnati eatery, The Diner on Sycamore Street. After many years at The Diner and other local restaurants, Bill decided a career change was necessary. That decision led him to the Jake Sweeney Auto-mobile Corporation as a Vehicle Sales Team professional. He received numerous awards and accolades throughout his 24 plus years within the Sweeney organization, developing lifelong friendships with both colleagues and customers. Upon starting his shift on January 14, 2019, Bill suffered a fall which led to his complicated hospital stay; to which, subsequent health problems became prevalent, leading to his demise on April 5, 2019.

Bill was preceded in death by his significant other, Donna Jean Carter.

Bill leaves to cherish his earthly memories: his father, William Bryant Grace, Sr. of Kansas City, Missouri; four sons, William Bryant Grace III, Eric Sorrells, Cush King(Paige) and Aaron Grace of Cincinnati, Ohio; one grand-son, Lucian; five siblings, Christopher Grace of Tuscon, Arizona, Derek McGuire, Khalid Grace of Cincinnati, Ohio, Ricana Grace of Kansas City, Missouri and Aisha Grace of St. Louis, Missouri; three special siblings, James, John and Elizabeth Williams of Cincinnati, Ohio; and a host of other relatives and friends.

Bill’s memories are also cherished by many lifelong friends, from the Presspass Social Club, the West End community, and the local entertainment community, just to name a few.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of William “Bill” Grace, Jr., please visit our floral store.