<BillNo> <Sponsor>
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 362
By Crowe
SJR0362
006796
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A RESOLUTION to honor the memory of Steve Grindstaff of
Elizabethton.
WHEREAS, it was with great sadness that we learned of the passing of Steve Grindstaff,
a highly successful and colorful businessman who owned several motor vehicle dealerships in
Elizabethton and Johnson City; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Grindstaff began working in motor vehicle sales as a young man and
soon mastered the skills of satisfying customers and successfully operating a business; he took
a major career step forward in 1987 when he acquired the Chevrolet dealership in Elizabethton;
and
WHEREAS, an avid promoter of his dealership at a time when promotion was extremely
important in the industry, Mr. Grindstaff took a prominent role in the dealership's advertising and
soon adopted the nickname "The Boss"; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Grindstaff was renowned throughout Northeast Tennessee for his
flamboyant, larger-than-life personality; applying these personal traits to his business life, he
continuously expanded the size of his dealership, adding both acreage and vehicles, and began
calling the property "Little Detroit"; and
WHEREAS, after acquiring a Chrysler dealership and a Ford dealership, Mr. Grindstaff
was quite proud to have the three largest American automobile corporations represented and
arranged side-by-side on the property; and
WHEREAS, he later built a Chevrolet and Cadillac dealership and Volkswagen, Subaru,
and Kia dealerships in Johnson City and developed two additional Kia dealerships in Bristol and
Kingsport, for a total of fourteen separate locations; and
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WHEREAS, after touring Spain, Mr. Grindstaff was inspired to build his version of a
Spanish castle on the shore of Boone Lake, and the finished product was a 19,000-square-foot
mansion with eight bedrooms, ten bathrooms, a movie theater, a miniature version of Bristol
Motor Speedway, and a fourteen-car garage; and
WHEREAS, after the house was destroyed by fire, he, undeterred by the horrific
experience and the enormous task of replacing the edifice, rebuilt the mansion in just a few
years; and
WHEREAS, possessing a "heart as big as the ocean," Mr. Grindstaff remained a major
force for good in the community after stepping back from a busy and hectic life in business and
became active in charitable events and programs supporting education; and
WHEREAS, Steve Grindstaff evidenced "enormous love" for his family and encouraged
their work in support of worthy civic and charitable causes; and
WHEREAS, he is survived by his wife, Ashley Martin Grindstaff; children, Baron Edward
Grindstaff, Bentley Steven Grindstaff, Steven Edward Grindstaff II, Renee Grindstaff Mullins,
and Amie Grindstaff Markland; sons-in-law, Adam Mullins and Jeff Markland; grandchildren,
Adam Steven Mullins and his fiancée, Margret Delaney Walsh, Chandlor Storm Mullins, Zeth
Christian Mullins, Landon Keith Pearson, and Stephaine Pearson Pastella and her husband,
Devon Pastella; and a great-granddaughter, Winsley Clover Pearson; and
WHEREAS, Steve Grindstaff is fondly remembered by Senator Rusty Crowe and friends
like Laura and Alan Levine as "a great American patriot and proud Tennessean, hugely
successful businessman, entrepreneur, master salesman, proud father and husband, incredibly
charitable and generous … a great business leader and community partner"; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING, that we honor the memory of Steve Grindstaff of
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Elizabethton, reflecting fondly upon his life of purpose and commitment to others and his
excellence as a businessman, public servant, family man, and human being.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we express our sympathy and extend our
condolences to Mr. Grindstaff's family and many friends.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that an appropriate copy of this resolution be prepared
for presentation with this final clause omitted from such copy and upon proper request made to
the appropriate clerk, the language appearing immediately following the State seal appear
without House or Senate designation.