Obituary

Joseph Anthony Gryson Joseph (Joe) Gryson, 89, passed away peacefully on October 24, 2021. He lived a life full of achievement, excelling as a scholar, pilot, chemical engineer, orthodontist, golfer, baseball coach, tax preparer, husband, and father. Joe loved the 49ers, the Dodgers, golf, flying, model trains, his personal computer and solving problems. A man of great integrity, Joe will be remembered for his keen intellect, depth of character, and, for those who knew him well enough, the kindness and gentleness of his soul hidden by his often intimidating demeanor. Joe was born February 11, 1932 to E. Joseph and Joyce Gryson in Rahway, NJ. The family moved to a small farm in Doylestown, PA when Joe was 13. The neighboring property belonged to Oscar Hammerstein II, and summer employment for Joe and his brother Peter included hay baling and other farm chores for the noted composer. At Doylestown High, Joe not only lettered in football, basketball and baseball, but also played trombone in the school marching band and orchestra. He modeled for artist Earle Bergey for several covers of popular magazines, such as "Thrilling Sports" and "Popular Love". He was also a gifted scholar: Joe won the Temple University Math Tournament during his junior year, and was valedictorian of his 1949 graduating class.In the Fall of 1949, Joe enrolled in his father's alma mater, Cornell University, in a 5-year Chemical Engineering program. Academic excellence led to membership in Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor fraternity. While at Cornell, he was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity, and played both trombone and sousaphone in the Big Red marching band. In 1954, Joe graduated at the top of his class with the equivalent of a MSChE and quickly found work with Standard Oil at the Richmond, CA refinery. The specter of the Korean War hung over college campuses in the early 50s, and Joe had signed up for the Naval Officers Candidate School to ensure the continuation of his collegiate studies. Just six weeks into his new position at Standard Oil, Joe was called to OCS. He earned his wings in March, 1956, and did one tour of duty, flying F2 H-3 Banshees from the aircraft carrier Kearsarge. In May of 1958, Lieutenant Joe Gryson left active duty and returned to the technical services department at Standard Oil, problem solving for the refinery the next two years. He continued his naval service into the 1960s on reserve duty. Joe met Patricia Huddleston on Thanksgiving Day in 1959 in a humorous incident of mistaken identity. She declined his first invitation for a date, but he was persistent. She eventually agreed to go out with him and they were married 2 years later. By then, Joe had made another career change, as advancement in the engineering field meant a shift in focus to sales and management from the science of engineering that Joe loved. Inspired by his younger brother Peter, who was just beginning a career in orthodontics, Joe enrolled at the University of California San Francisco dental school in 1960 and graduated in 1964 at the top of his class. In Spring of that year, the couple's first child, Karen, arrived. In 1965, Joe and Pat decided to move to San Rafael, CA to open Joe's orthodontic practice, and in early 1966, their second child, David, was born.Joe was highly regarded and respected in the field of orthodontics. He was an active and influential member of several professional organizations, including the American Association of Orthodontists, for which he served as Speaker of the House; the Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists, where he served as President; and the Edward H. Angle Society of Orthodontists. He taught continuously at the UCSF Dental School from 1965 until 2012. Joe was truly a champion of the science of Orthodontics and a vehement proponent of the importance of education, training and board certification over clever, self-promoting marketing. He earned the James E. Brophy AAO Distinguished Service Award in 1996. Joe lived in the community he served, and contributed in multiple ways. He was an active member of the Terra Linda Homeowners' Association for many years, and his desire to share his love of baseball with his son led him to coach in the TLAA and Dixie youth baseball leagues for more than 10 years. Upon his retirement from orthodontics, Joe went to work for Pat in her tax business. The two ran the business together for several years until Pat's vision became so impaired by macular degeneration that she had to give it up. Joe continued to run the business on his own for several years after that. He also kept the books and records for an investment club Pat had joined. Joe was deeply analytical, and was a brilliant, laser focused scientist who could get so absorbed in projects that he could become oblivious to his surroundings. He utilized his meticulous technical skills in a number of carpentry projects at the family home; whether building a cover for the children's sandbox, a cage for his son's lizards, or custom shelving for the garage, Joe expected his work to far exceed accepted standards and was dissatisfied with anything but perfection. He would stay at things until achievement, no matter how long it took. Joe's biggest project was single handedly designing and building a large redwood deck in the backyard of the family home to 1/16" accuracy. But his favorite hobby had to be working on his personal computer. Joe spent hours there, writing programs for practical application in the tax business, the investment club, and the weekly NFL football pool that he ran for nearly 30 years. Not surprisingly, watching or playing sports was as much another arena for Joe's high expectations to be challenged as it was diversion for him. He held 49er season tickets since 1958, going back to Kezar stadium, and attended the 49ers' first Superbowl in January 1982 with his brother, Peter. Joe was a skilled golfer; he won the annual