Obituary: Lt- Inspector Milan E. Grant III, 52, of Thomaston

Obituary courtesy of Casey’s Eastside Memorial Funeral Home and Cremation Care

Beloved son, husband, father and firefighter

WATERBURY - It is with great sorrow and a profound sense of loss that the family of Lt- Inspector Milan E. Grant III, age 52 of Thomaston, announce his unexpected passing on Sunday, August 18, 2024, at St. Mary's Hospital. He was the loving husband of Maureen (Phelan) Grant.

Milan was born in Waterbury on September 15, 1971, which he proudly shared with his grandpa Haase, the son of Milan E. Jr and Carol (Haase) Grant. He was educated in local schools and graduated from Holy Cross High School where he enjoyed swimming on the swim team and was Captain in his junior and senior years and he also played tennis during his high school years. Milan started his swimming career at the Waterbury Boys Club and continued to swim competitively into his college years at SCSU and then turned to Coaching swim. He coached at the CT Special Olympics and then the Watertown Swim Team. His greatest coaching experience in swimming was watching his own twin boys excel at Northwest YMCA Lasers. He joined the Waterbury Fire Dept. in 1999 and was promoted to Lieutenant in 2014 and then Lt. Inspector in 2021. After serving in various companies within the City, he was assigned to the Fire Marshals office where he served until his passing. Milan was a huge sports fan! He had his favorite teams; the Yankees, New York Giants, UConn basketball and golf! One of his fondest golf memories was watching Tiger tee off at the 2002 Open. Milan’s favorite sports were anything his boys were doing! It was through coaching and sports that he developed lifelong friendships! One thing some might not miss so much about Milan was his unusual love for loud music!

Milan was a valiant member of Waterbury’s bravest and loved his job, he was exceptional in almost every way but he excelled the most at being a devoted son, husband, father, brother, uncle and friend. Milan will be deeply missed but his warmth, kindness and special smile and an infectious laugh for everyone he came in contact with will be forever engrained in those that knew him well. He was the epitome of a true gentleman and will be forever remembered by all who were blessed to know and love him. May his memory be an everlasting memory.

Left to honor his memory and legacy, besides his loving wife of 25 years and his parents, are his twin sons, Milan IV and Michael Grant of Thomaston, his sister, Taury Miller and her husband Thom of Avon, his mother-in-law, Mary Rita Phelan of Prospect, his brothers-in-law; Neil Phelan and his wife Betsy of Woodbury MN and Tim Phelan and his wife Kate of East Granby, his brother firefighters, many nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. He was predeceased by his father-in-law, James Phelan.

Funeral services for Lt. Inspector Grant will be held on Monday, August 26, 2024, when a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, 74 West Main St., on the Green in Waterbury at 10:00 a.m. Monsignor Robert Tucker will be the principal celebrant. Those planning to attend are kindly asked to meet directly at the church. Burial will be held at the convenience of his family in Calvary Cemetery. Relatives and friends may visit with Milan’s family on Sunday afternoon from 2:00 until 5:00 p.m. at Casey’s Eastside Memorial Funeral Home and Cremation Care, 1987 East Main St., Waterbury, CT 06705.

From GoFundMe page

On August 18th, we tragically lost LT. Inspector Milan E. Grant III, a dedicated 25-year veteran firefighter, beloved member of our community, loving husband to Maureen, and devoted father to his twin boys, Milan IV and Michael.

Milan suffered a massive stroke on August 7th and passed away one week later, leaving behind an unimaginable void for all who knew and loved him. He was a man full of life, a cherished friend who lit up every room he entered, and was taken from us far too soon, in the prime of his life.

For 25 beautiful years, Milan shared a loving marriage with Maureen, and together they raised two remarkable sons who are just beginning their sophomore year of college. His sudden passing leaves a profound loss, both emotionally and financially, for his family—just when Milan had so much more to give to the world.

As we come together to grieve this heartbreaking loss, we are also rallying to support Maureen, Milan IV, and Michael as they face the difficult journey ahead. Milan was not only a hero in his professional life, but also in his role as a husband and father. We want to ensure that his legacy of love and care continues.

We are raising funds to help provide for Maureen, Milan IV, and Michael’s future needs. Any contribution, no matter the size, will make a significant impact in helping them navigate the challenging road ahead.

Please consider donating and sharing this campaign with others. Your support during this time of heartbreak is deeply appreciated.

Thank you for standing with the Grant family.

Loving kindness is always welcome, and it only takes a moment to offer a message of condolence and share a memory or words of comfort with the family and friends of someone who was important to you. Please do that on the funeral home tribute page at www.caseyfunerals.com . To send flowers, or a memorial gift to the Grant family, please visit the funeral home website at www.caseyfunerals.com.