Michael Grant had a long career in technical theater and through that time touched many lives. His initial training started at Glen Cove High School and continued at Hofstra University. Time in the military and working as a freelance theater technician grew his skills in a wide variety of areas. In 1982, he settled into a career at The New York Public Theater, hired by founder Joseph Papp, and continuing under the leadership of Joanna Akalitis and George C. Wolfe. He was promoted to Technical Director by George C. Wolfe. During his time there, he was part of the team that transformed spaces in the historical Astor Library into the theaters we know today. During that time, he was also part of the team who built the last version of the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. In addition to that, he oversaw and was a part of building many sets, putting hammers in the hands of many people looking for jobs, and teaching them how to use tools. He left The Public after 18 years to spend more time with his family. He spent the next year nearer to home, building an exhibit for the Nassau County Children’s Museum. In 2001, he and his wife Valerie brought their daughter to an open house at Friends Academy. Friends Academy had just finished building a state-of-the-art theater. The day Michael and his family walked in the door was a great day for Friends Academy. His daughter, Meli, entered Friends Academy and became a strong member of the FA community, both as a student and an alumna. Michael became the school’s first Technical Director and spent the next 20 years putting tools in the hands of middle and high school students, giving them not only technical skills but also life skills. He asked the best of them, then walked beside them as they worked to achieve their goals. He was a beloved member of the Friends community. In 2020, he was diagnosed with leukemia. He made it through a bone marrow transplant and eventually became cancer-free; however, illness never left his side. After two severe bouts of pneumonia, he lost his fight to be healthy and passed on Sunday, April 6, 2025.

We are reaching out to members of all the communities he was a part of to create memorials. The first $10,000 of the funds will go to place a permanent memorial bench in Central Park, at or near his beloved Delacorte Theater. The rest will be used at Friends Academy for a memorial bench and, if there are enough funds, something meaningful for the theater.