John W. Grinstead

John Grinstead died peacefully in his sleep on October 4, 2025, at Copper Shores Village in Pleasant Hill, Iowa at the age of 91. He lived a life dedicated to his family, community, and the land he loved.

Born to William and Anna Grinstead in Des Moines, John was a brother to four siblings: Sally (Honnold), twins Jeanette (Ballard) and Jeanine (Harrington) and James.

John was united in marriage to Norma Sorensen in 1952, both graduating from Des Moines Technical High School. They shared a 72-year marriage where every day of his life, he never failed to kiss Norma goodbye each morning at the kitchen door. He is now with her again, as Norma preceded him in death in 2024.

Loyal and dependable, John was the owner and operator of Grinstead Texaco Service for over 50 years. He was gifted technically and mechanically, and there was literally nothing he couldn’t fix. Operating on the East Side of Des Moines, he amassed a fortune in friendships with his employees, customers and neighbors. He loved his community, always believed in supporting others by patronizing small businesses. He felt a great loss when he closed the business upon his retirement in 2000. John also supported his community by holding multiple positions on the Grant Park Christian Church board and serving as Past Master of East Gate Masonic Lodge and several professional associations.

Of all his accomplishments, John drew his greatest pride from his family. He was never happier than when he was surrounded by family on his acreage near Runnells, where he worked the land and planted thousands of trees. Large Thanksgiving gatherings were the norm, followed by the traditional clay pigeon turkey shoot. He was a dedicated steward of animals, caring for a continuous flock of horses, cattle, and dogs throughout his life.

He is survived by his loving children: daughters Linda (Jim) Newsom, Susan (Bill) Milliken, and Geri (Kevin) Seiberling, and son Jason (Mary) Grinstead. He was the proud grandfather of ten grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. He loved us, supported us, and taught us unconditional love. He was a constant of strength in our lives and will be greatly missed.

The family will hold a visitation on Sunday, October 12, 2025, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at Hamilton’s Funeral Home, 605 Lyon Street, Des Moines. Funeral service will follow on Monday, October 13, 2025, at 1:00 p.m., also at Hamilton’s, with interment at Powers Warren Cemetery. For those unable to attend the service in person, it will be livestreamed through a link that will be available below shortly.

The family extends their deepest gratitude and recognition to the staff at Copper Shores Village. Their great kindness and compassionate care were nothing short of legendary.

Memorials may be made to Runnells Christian Church 309 Brown Street, Runnells, IA 50237.

John's parting words: "Go change the oil in your car."

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