Funeral and Memorial Fund for Nicholas J. Grimes

We are all devastated by the sudden loss of Nicholas J. Grimes on Monday night, September 19th. Nick was a wonderful son, brother, uncle, and friend to many. He was a genuine and thoughtful man whose heart was full of compassion and positivity. He had the ability to make you feel that you were capable of achieving all of your dreams because he knew he was achieving his own dreams against all the odds. He believed that success was what you made of it and not what others thought of it. Young or old, rich or poor, he made you feel like you belonged and were important when you were with him. He was an amazing listener. He had a quick mind and loved knowledge. But best of all was that he was always quick with a smile and laugh.

Nick was a man who had a plan and knew what he wanted out of life. He grew up in a small apartment in Palatine with his two brothers, Brad & Mark, and his little sister, Angelica. He was raised by his mother Angela and his father Roy, who worked hard to give the kids the best life they could. His maternal grandparents, Carl and Gail, and his Uncle Paul lived across the hall helping to raise them. While times were often tough, they as a family stuck together and helped push each other so that they could one day live a better life. In childhood, he was struck by a vehicle when riding his skateboard and nearly lost his life. This accident made him stronger in character than ever before. It was from these hardships he endured that he dedicated himself after high school to his studies and pursued his dream of becoming a doctor of dentistry.

Nick went to Palatine High School where he was a varsity athlete in football. He finished his Bachelor of Molecular Biology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Campaign. He completed his Master of Biomedical Sciences at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale Florida. He continued on to the University of Illinois Chicago where he had just started his first semester toward his doctorate in dentistry. He was elated when he was honored in the white coat ceremony just a few weeks ago and he wanted everyone in his family to be part of it with him. We were all so proud of how far he had come and how much he had achieved.

As his Uncle, I have started this GoFundMe to help cover the cost of his funeral expenses. Our families were not prepared for having to lay Nick to rest when he was so young and full of life. During this difficult time, we are reaching out to the community for help.

Please consider donating if you can, as any amount would truly help. We need to raise $15,000 in order to cover the costs of his funeral. Nick was working so hard to become a doctor of dentistry to help those kids and adults who grew up like him. He wanted to make the world a better place by helping people take care of their health by making their smiles something they would be proud of. We were so proud of him and we will miss him immensely.

The wake for Nicholas Grimes will be held Saturday, October 1st from 1:00 pm-6:00 pm at Ahlgrim Family Funeral Home (201 N. Northwest Hwy, Palatine, IL 60067). We welcome all those who wish to pay their final respects to come join us.