Captain James Anthony Grebas USMC, Retired Obituary (2022)

Captain James Anthony Grebas, Sr. USMC, Retired, 85, of Beaufort, SC, died Tuesday, December 6, 2022, in Beaufort Memorial Hospital. The family will receive friends on Thursday, December 15, 2022, from 5-7pm at Anderson Funeral Home with Masonic Rites. Funeral Mass will be held on Friday, December 16, 2022, at 11:30am at St. Peter's Catholic Church with burial in Beaufort National Cemetery with full military honors. Mr. Grebas was born on July 13, 1937, in Scranton, PA. He is the son of the late Anthony Grebas and Anna Kleha Grebas. He enlisted in the USMC in 1955 and after boot camp became an aviation jet fighter mechanic first assigned to VMFA-312 known as the "Checkerboards" at MCAS Beaufort with assignments to H&MS 31 & 32. During his career, Mr. Grebas was selected to attend Officer Candidate School in Quantico, becoming one of a few select, respected USMC "MUSTANG's." He served two combat tours in Vietnam and was presented with the prestigious Air Medal Award in 1967; although, eligible for a Purple Heart, he humbly declined the offer. Retiring from the USMC in 1977, he developed a passion for restoring VWs and opened a well-known family repair business known as "Economy VW." A place where all the customers came on a hot day for a free cold beerand lively conversation. After full retirement, he continued weekly coffee visits with all his friends and spending time with family. He was an avid dancer who excelled at the Jitterbug and Shag. He remained an active member of the Amvets, VFW, and a proud member of the Masonic Lodge. He is survived by his son, Jim Grebas, Jr, daughters, Julia Grebas, Linda Kazmierski, many grandchildren, three brothers, Robert Grebas, John Grebas, Bill Yudiskas and one sister, Rose Mary Leslie. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made in his memory to St Peters Catholic (70 Lady's Island Drive, Beaufort, S.C. 29907) the AAA School fund helping a child with educational tuition or St Vincent de Paul food bank for the underprivileged.