A Life of Enterprise, Adventure, and Enduring Family Traditions
Gregory Arnold Gramas lived a long life defined by determination, adventure, and a deep devotion to family. A successful businessman, avid golfer, passionate skier, and devoted husband, father, and grandfather, Greg embraced life with energy and purpose.
Born and raised in Queens, New York, Greg learned early the value of hard work, independence, and building something of one's own. Greg graduated from the University at Buffalo and pursued his career in pharmacy. Following in the footsteps of his father, John J. Gramas, who owned Born Pharmacy in Brooklyn, New York, Greg became the longtime owner of this business and Cross River Pharmacy in Westchester County, New York. Together with his beloved wife, Carlotta, they built a successful business and became a fixture of the community for more than four decades.
Beyond his professional accomplishments, Greg was an avid golfer and longtime member of Waccabuc Country Club. He enjoyed both the competition and camaraderie of the game. He served on several club committees over the years, contributing his time and energy to a place that remained an important part of his life and friendships.
The mountains held an equally special place in Greg's heart. As an enthusiastic skier, countless winter weekends were spent at the family's Seasons condominium at Mount Snow, Vermont, where days on the slopes became cherished memories.
At the center of Greg's life was his extraordinary partnership with his wife, Carlotta. The two met in the summer of 1958 at the Jersey Shore in Belmar, New Jersey, beginning a love story that would span more than six decades. Married on April 18, 1959, in Astoria, Queens, they shared 65 years of marriage, raising a family, building a business, and pursuing life.
As a young couple, Greg and Carlotta were enthusiastic participants in automobile road rallies, navigating winding roads in their beloved sports cars. They frequently returned home with first-place trophies and made everlasting friendships.
Together, Greg and Carlotta raised three children, Gregory Evan, Kenneth John, and Deirdre Anne. Family life was filled with shared adventures, from ski weekends in Vermont to summers in Waccabuc, New York.
In 1992, they faced the tragic loss of their beloved son Kenneth in a skiing accident in Russia. In the difficult years that followed, Greg and Carlotta dedicated significant time to community and athletic philanthropy, honoring Kenneth's memory through The Ken Gramas Foundation and the Ken Gramas '88 Memorial Pavilion at Franklin & Marshall College, beside Tylus Field in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Kenneth has since remained in all of our hearts. His memory is with those of us who loved him.
Greg and Carlotta made homes in New York and Connecticut before eventually settling in Jupiter, Florida. Wherever they lived, they cultivated lasting friendships and a sense of belonging. Greg belonged to a generation that valued hard work, self-reliance, loyalty, and the satisfaction of a job well done. He made lasting friends, loved water skiing and boating, mastered crossword puzzles and tennis. Greg's legacy extends beyond the business he built and the communities he helped shape. It lives in the traditions he created that will continue for generations.
Greg was predeceased by his much-loved wife, Carlotta; his cherished son, Kenneth John Gramas; and his dear brother, John Gramas.
He is survived by his younger sister, Marylin Gramas, of Manhattan, New York; his daughter, Deirdre Anne Gramas, of Spruce Head, Maine; his son, Gregory Evan Gramas, and daughter-in-law, Monique, of Stowe, Vermont; and his grandson, Evan, a student and Division I alpine ski racer at Bates College, whose accomplishments were a tremendous source of pride for his grandfather.
Greg Gramas will be laid to rest alongside his life partner, Carlotta, and adored son, Kenneth, in Reynolds Cemetery in Cross River, New York.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Guiding Eyes for the Blind, based in Yorktown Heights, NY.
To share a memory, condolence or photo of Gregory, please visit his remembrance page at bchfh.com
Arrangements are in the care of Burpee, Carpenter & Hutchins Funeral Home, 110 Limerock St. Rockland, Maine.
