Grant W. Backey

MADISON- Grant W. Backey, age 64, passed away on Monday, Nov. 19, 2018, after a battle with lung cancer. He was born on May 2, 1954, in Milwaukee. Grant was the adopted son of Orville and Enid (Lutz) Backey. He attended high school in Oregon and was a 1977 graduate of UW Oshkosh, who excelled in sales and marketing. The last 27 years of his career were with Harker Heating and Air Conditioning. When it came to self-awareness, Grant embraced W.C. Field’s position, “I drink therefore I am”. His use of innuendos, some of which could be construed as sexual in nature, made him Tully’s uncensored version of Norm from the hit TV series Cheers. Grant’s journey was our reward because through it all he loved his family, backed his friends, made people laugh, and truly believed life was good. Grant is survived by his wife, Jo; son, Kane; step-daughter, Tammi; brother, Kent; sister, Susan Bast; nieces and nephews; cousins; other relatives; and dear friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; and sister-in-law, Elaine Backey. Friends have always played a very important role in Grant’s life. He wished to acknowledge two buddies dating back to his college days, Dave Rothmann and Ed Rockey. Through the years they participated in escapades that made people shake their heads in disbelief, made others question if they ever happened, and made the three of them choose to “plead the 5th”, more times than not, all of which, though, were in good fun. Grant also wanted to acknowledge his long-time, close friend, Craig Hayes who was a willing accomplice during many of the good times as well and provided a tremendous amount of support when it was needed the most. A special thank you to Carol Luther for her friendship and gracious caregiving. A casual gathering to celebrate Grant’s life will be held at TULLY’S, 6401 Monona Dr., Monona, at a later date to be announced. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com. Gunderson East Funeral and Cremation Care 5203 Monona Drive (608) 221-5420