Stephen Grigg, 73, of Buchanan, passed away Monday morning, December 29, 2025, after an 8-month battle with Pancreatic Cancer. Stephen Hendricks Grigg was born on October 4, 1952, in Washington, D.C., to Elijah Hendricks and Minnie Russell Grigg (both now deceased).
Steve was raised in Falls Church, Va., where he left after graduating from George Mason High School to attend Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. After the draft pulled him out of college, Steve joined the United States Marines. He went through boot camp in San Diego and then served his enlistment working with computers at Quantico, Va.
After the Marines, Steve returned to graduate from Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences with a bachelor’s degree in Horticulture, specializing in Landscape Design. After college and a few different jobs in the green industry, Steve and his wife, Juanita Malone Grigg, started Grigg Design, Inc., a landscape design/build company in Manassas Park, Va. (Northern Virginia area).
Grigg Design, Inc. grew and became a successful landscape design firm for 34 years. During that time, Steve was involved with many industry-related groups, most notably the Virginia Nursery and Landscape Association (VNLA), serving in an executive capacity for several years, including one year as President.
During his active years in the business and continuing after retirement in 2019, Steve returned to lend his time and expertise to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences as a way of giving back. He served for 15 years as a member of the Dean’s Leadership Council, right up until his diagnosis forced him to resign.
After retirement, Steve and Juanita moved to Buchanan in 2021, where Steve realized his dream of returning to the mountains and living in a small town. He was able to enjoy fishing, hiking, shooting sports, hunting, and “puttering” in his gardens.
He maintained throughout his life that serving in the Marine Corps and his involvement with Virginia Tech were the building blocks for everything else he did. He lived his life by the mottos of those two institutions, “Ut Prosium” for Virginia Tech (that I may serve) and “Semper Fi” for the Marine Corps (always faithful).
Left to cherish Steve’s memory are his wife of almost 50 years, Juanita (Malone); sister, Lynn R. Grigg; nephews, Elijah, Bly Mitchell, and Guthrie George; seven grand-nieces and-nephews; paternal uncle, James Grigg; and numerous cousins on both the paternal and maternal sides of his family. Steve was cremated, and his service will be announced by his family. In lieu of flowers, Steve requested donations be made to the Virginia Tech Foundation in support of the Hahn Horticulture Garden. Information on how to donate can be found here: https://hahngarden.vt.edu/support.html.
Online condolences may be made at www.botetourtfh.com.
