Mike Grant:
CLASS OF 1974
South Mecklenburg High SchoolClass of 1974
Charlotte, NC
Mike's Story
After graduation i briefly attended Western Carolina and then CPCC. I was hired as a police officer in Statesville NC in 1978 and worked various positions from patrol to Criminal Investigator, Supervised CID and eventually Director of Training/Personnel/Purchasing. I was also Commander of the Hostage Negotiation Unit. When I retired in 2003. CID was my true passion as i turned down a promotion and also a job offer from Charlotte PD Crime Lab to remain as an Investigator. During my career I handled a wide range of cases from simple larcenies up to complex Homicides and Sexual assaults. I had the pleasure of working cases with the SBI, FBI, US Marshals , US Secret Service and in one instance on a Presidential Candidate security detail’. I was also a contributor to a training manual on “How to Investigate a Child Homicide sponsored by the Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Washington State Attorney General Office. My final official duty was testifying in a Homicide case in W. Virginia. So to end this segment…yes I have a defendant on death row; yes ive been shot at( missed); yes ive shot at a person but to this day Im glad I missed him.
In 1979 i met my future wife, we dated 4 times and on that last date ( her 21st birthday at the Pineville Dinner Theater ) I asked her to marry me …an unplanned event on
My part but the greatest thing Ive done. Lorraine DeCunzo said yes and in 1980 we married. Ironically a good friend Albie Lanwheir, also got married that same day. As of this writing we have been married 43 years. We raised 6 boys and 1 girl along with our 2 oldest grandchildren. We are proud of them all as they have been successful in their careers however our two oldest boys contracted a very rare disease in their 30s that killed one with the other becoming legally blind and deaf. We now have 3 younger grands with 2 more due shortly.
Lorraine retired from teaching in 2020 and was beloved wherever she taught. At two different...Expand for more
high schools she was the “teacher of the year” and had the annual dedicated to her.. She initiated multiple programs at her schools and is an excellent cook witnessed by me ballooning up to 250 lbs however now done to 193 the weight i was when we married. It is not a joke when i state she is the better half snd has made me a better person. I in turned taught her how to cuss extremely well! Last point…to this day it is a rarity if a old student doesn’t stop her to say hello.
Being the sports nut (Rain is not) i have been involved in youth sports one way or another. I have officiated baseball, basketball, soccer; coached baseball, football, basketball and soccer; been on multiple youth boards; and started a American Legion Baseball program and a youth baseball program. One of my proudest and most fun times involved a JV baseball team in high school that hadnt won a game in five years (hint..it became 6). The season prior they never made it past the 4th inning in any games. They learned, we had fun and we played competitive games …playing full games in everyone but one! It was a great season!! I had two sons play college baseball with one being on the 2015 Division 2 National World Series Runner Up; my daughter won several state ribbons during her equestrian horseback riding career along with ribbons during her college career; another son was a MMA fighter who was scheduled to make his professional debut in NY however his opponent did mot medically qualify and then the next fighter withdrew. Matts coach then retired ending his desire. Lastly my only child to hit a walkoff homerun was Tom. He holds that distinction over his siblings heads plus…he was voted “best looking” boy in high school!
Finally, with almost every one out of the house we tend to the house, explore different locals around the state, enjoy events at vineyards and started traveling to St Thomas. Enjoying life as much as we can as we also tend to the grands that make us smile!
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