“Good-natured,” “responsible,” and “compassionate” are only a few words that can encompass what a unique individual Alex Grant, a sophomore at BC, was. Like the curious story that led to his high-school nickname “Pal,” he was quite a tale himself.
Alex acquired the nickname from an old group of high school friends, and he continued to introduce himself as “Pal” in college. Anyone who had the pleasurable experience of meeting Pal was immediately struck by his rather unrelated nickname: Alex to Pal?
“Oh god. We’ve probably heard the story behind his name a million times,” Max Hinchcliffe, Grant’s roommate and good friend, said. “But you know, I couldn’t tell it to you. I don’t remember it.”
The tale behind Pal’s nickname doesn’t even begin to describe who he was. At BC, Pal joined the men’s rowing team on a whim freshman year. “He just randomly signed up. He’d never rowed before. I guess he just wanted to stay in shape or something,” Jimmy Harvey, one of Grant’s suite-mates and a member of the men’s rowing team, explained.
Pal, although he had never rowed before, contributed to the team’s early success as a novice crew. They eventually won multiple scrimmages and medals in the New England Rowing Championships. “We became a close group of guys and called ourselves the ‘Dynasty’,” John Lee, a member of the BC rowing team, said. “Alex was a great rower and always worked hard with us during those early morning practices.”
Whether on or off the water, Pal was more than a cherished member of the team, he was also a fun person to be around and a great friend. “He will always be one of our boys and we will truly miss him. Dynasty for life Pal,” John reminisced.
The rowing team’s symbol
Pal was also one of the founding members of the new BC chapter of the fraternity Sigma Phi Epsilon, colloquially known as Sig Ep.
Beyond BC, Pal aspired to work in financial services, an area of business that his father is involved in. He was a hard worker and had planned on getting his bachelor’s in Economics in the College of Arts and Sciences. An excellent student, Pal was also in the honors program.
Charitable and caring, Pal was a motivation for his friend Jimmy. “I relied on him for studying. He was a motivation and he sometimes helped me,” Jimmy expressed.
Outside of the classroom, he always had the last laugh when it came to everyday life. Down-to-earth, Pal was a funny guy from the first day they met him, according to Max, Gerry, and Jimmy. The four of them were randomly placed on the 3rd floor of Gonzaga Hall freshman year and quickly became good friends. “He was quiet at first. But you could tell he was a genuinely nice person. And he later opened up to us,” Gerry Bilodeau said.
Described by his friends as unbelievably mature and responsible, Pal was a devoted friend. He was invested in his friendships and kept a constant interest in the lives of those he loved. Pal was a thoughtful person and his friends remember him as the type to contemplate things.
“He didn’t talk philosophy with us or anything like that,” his friends laughed. “But you could tell he was a genuine thinker.” Pal’s maturity made his tragic accident come as an overwhelming and confusing surprise. “You wouldn’t expect anything like this from a guy like Pal,” Max said, still trying to understand what happened.
“It just doesn’t make any sense,” Gerry and Jimmy agreed. Recalling Pal’s presence in their lives, the roommates recounted how Pal “definitely made all of our lives better.” Max said that any conversation with him could make your day better. He would always make you laugh or have some thoughtful insight.
But the best thing about Pal? The best thing about Pal was how much he loved life. He enjoyed laughing at almost anything. “He always saw the lighter side of things and would just laugh, just at anything that was remotely funny,” Max said. “Whenever he laughed too hard, he’d start stomping his foot.”
Pal’s enthusiasm for life and his humorous character are embodied in his favorite expression: “Let’s go!” Whether you remember Pal for his foot stomping technique and unbelievable humor or his care for others, he will always remain in our hearts.
Your laugh will resonate forever in the memories of those who knew you.
Peace be with you. We miss you Pal.
Alex Grant Memorial Service
Tuesday, March 22nd
St. Ignatius Church
Service starts at 7pm