Tony E. Grift Obituary
We are sad to announce that on April 22, 2026, at the age of 63, Tony E. Grift of Champaign, Illinois passed away. Family and friends are welcome to leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with the family.
As we bid Tony farewell, let us not mourn the absence of his physical form, but rather celebrate the essence of his spirit that lingers in the spaces between moments. For Tony is not truly gone, but merely transformed, his energy intertwined with the fabric of the universe itself, forever dancing among the stars.
He was predeceased by: his parents, Ernst Grift and Beertje Bos Grift. He is survived by: his wife Lauria Potter Grift; his siblings, Gretha Grift (Bert) and Harry Grift (Heike); his stepdaughters, Lainey Waugh and Bethany Waugh; and his pet Penny.
He also asked that, in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The American Red Cross, Champaign County Humane Society or to a general gift fund with the College of ACES at the University of Illinois in his honor.
