Grady L. Liles – The Man and The Legend

Editors Note- Obituary for Grady Liles 

Bigger than life is how most folks that ever met Grady would describe him.  He was a man who could truly say without a hint of bragging “Been there, done that, got a tee shirt to prove it.”

Originally from Florence, he attended Mars Hill and Coffee High School  where he played football.  However, his true game was not football but boxing.  Before going into the Marines, he was a Golden Gloves Champion having won that title in 1947.  After entering the Marines, he earned the prestigious 1950 Middleweight Boxing Championship for the U.S. Marine Corps.  To earn a title such as this you would have to be one tuff jarhead.  In speaking with friends of Grady’s they said that in boxing is where he acquired his tenacity to latch onto an idea or task and not let it go until it was finished.

In 1957 his hard work and foresight was instrumental in organizing the Florence Rescue Squad, the first all-volunteer squad in North Alabama.  In the early 1960’s Grady worked tirelessly to get the State Fireman’s bill passed and signed into law in 1963.  The Fireman’s bill regulated the maximum working hours for city fire fighters and was the first bill to help fire fighters statewide.  Additionally, Grady spent 13 years with the Florence Fire Department and was honored as the Alabama’s Fireman of the Year in 1965.

The achievements in the ring and as a fireman were only the beginnings of a lifelong passion of service to his community.  In 1965 he was awarded the Jaycees Humanity Award, and, in 1967 he was named Outstanding Young Man of the year by the Jaycees.  In 1967, he was also selected for the Outstanding Personalities of the South.  In 1964, after saving the life of a 19 month old child who had fallen off the railing of a bed, he received a Distinguished Service Award from the City of Florence. The Award stated “In appreciation for your meritorious service performed above and beyond the call of duty which aided in the saving the life of one of our neighboring citizens, we hereby extend to your our heartfelt gratitude for this act of humanity.”  What else would you expect from a U.S. Marine?

Grady even had a brush with politics having run for Lauderdale County Sheriff and State Representative (Place 1).  Robert F. Smith, a local attorney, told me he remembered when Grady ran for sheriff he gave out campaign buttons shaped like a lawman’s tin star and that all the kids wanted one.  Even though his campaigns were unsuccessful, he never let it deter his desire to serve the people of the Shoals.

After leaving the Florence Fire Department to enter private business as an Insurance Agent, Grady continued to serve the Shoals Community participating in various civic organizations.  Mayor Haddock said that “When a tough job needed to be done, Grady was the “go-to” man to get going.”

As a long-time UNA fan and booster, Grady served as president of the UNA Sportsman Club for 20 years.  He put his tenacity to work and help build the UNA Athletic Department into what it is today.  His vision and tireless work was recognized in 1998 when he was inducted into the UNA Athletic Hall of Fame.

Johnny Simpson

After the Sportsman Club Meeting on Wednesday, I spoke with Johnny Simpson, the current President of the Sportsman Club “Grady was a driving force in the UNA Sportsman Club, he put a lot of time and effort into improving the Club.  His wisdom and insight will be sorely missed.  Our prayers are with Shirley and their family”

What most people in the Shoals area remember about Grady was his vision in promoting Division II football.  In 1996, legendary Alabama U.S. Senator Howell T. Heflin paid tribute to Grady by placing in the Congressional Record that he “was the moving figure behind bringing the NCAA Division II National Championship game and with it national recognition to the Shoals area of north Alabama. He also originated the idea of the Harlon Hill Trophy to honor the top collegiate football player in division II. It is named after a former University of North Alabama player who went on to star with the Chicago Bears, winning the Jim Thorpe Award in the mid-1950’s.  In 1985, Grady helped organize and establish the Shoals National Championship Committee, which made a successful bid to host the NCAA division II football championship game.”

The nationally televised Division II Championship game has been played in the Shoals for 26 years, and continues to provide a major impact on Division II football programs.  In addition, it provides a boost to the local economy and has led to the growth of the hospitality industry in the Shoals.

I sat down today with Mayor Mickey Haddock and spoke with him about his long time association with Grady.  “Working with Grady taught me a lot, about commitment, staying

Mayor Mickey Haddock

the course, and about discipline.  He was the best I’ve ever seen about asking people for things and “stuff.”  He would go ask anyone for anything when it came to the Division II Championship game and the student athletes.   He didn’t even mind taking on the NCAA when it came to the game.  One time an NCAA official came to Grady and said you’re going to have to cover up the names of the two local sponsors on the scoreboard.  Grady responded that that was not going to happen.  The NCAA official then replied “The Shoals will lose the game then.”  Grady contumaciously replied “Well take it then, because I’ve made a commitment to the sponsors that their name would be on the game clock.”  The names weren’t covered up and the game is still played here today. 

When tough things came up we all looked to Grady to take the lead, he didn’t mind stepping out there and handling it when it came to the D2 Championship game.  But even beyond that, he had a tremendous love for the City of Florence and always looked for ways to help the citizens and improve the quality of life for the Shoals.  In addition to being involved in the D2 Championship game, he was active in the Civitan Club and his church.  He had that giving spirit and was the driving force behind the CP telethon for many years. “

Ernest Haygood

Another longtime friend of Grady’s is Ernest Haygood, in an interview on Wednesday, he said “I’ve known Grady for a very long time, we’ve served on numerous committees and boards together.  He has meant so much to the City of Florence, The Shoals and the University of North Alabama. He has been so influential about things in Florence and the University.  UNA will miss him because he was so well loved by so many.”

In 1961 President John F. Kennedy said in his inauguration speech “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”  Grady Lee Lilies, the old marine, who had already been answering the call to duty for several years, set forth to lead by example and show what he could do for Florence, Alabama.  Just like any Marine that has ever taken the oath, he dedicated his life to his wife Shirley, his family, his God, his church, his community and his fellow man.  He leaves a hole in the hearts of all those who knew him and for those that will never know him personally, will know of him through the legacy he leaves behind.

Even though I was in the Navy, I can only say Semper Fi, my good man, Semper Fi! (Latin for “Always Faithful”.)  It is a permanent reminder of that, once a Marine the transformation cannot be undone.  Grady proved this by remaining faithful to the mission at hand and to his fellow citizens of The Shoals.

Rest in peace Grady, we are all better off for having known you.

Photo courtesy UNA.