Celebration of Life for Granville Waiters will be held Saturday, May 22, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. at New Birth Christian Ministries, 3475 Refugee Rd, Columbus, OH 43232. Please send cards and condolences to White's Funeral and Cremation Services.
GRANVILLE WAITERS was born on January 8, 1961. Early Monday morning, March 22, 2021, he ascended to heights that even he hadn’t imagined yet. Granville was well-known for being a “stand-out” on the court at the Ohio State University – the pun is intended – go ahead and chuckle, as well as an NBA basketball player, and at 6’11,” hiding in plain sight was the most for which he could hope in public settings.
Growing up on the East side of Columbus, Ohio, Granville was known for reaching great “height.” He was also known for his diverse talents playing basketball, spinning tunes as a DJ (disc jockey), being a great handyman, and being a charismatic friend. He was a proud graduate of East High School, where he and his teammates won the Class AAA state championship title in 1979. He then attended The Ohio State University and was the basketball team captain and Big 10 player of the year his final season. He played five seasons in the NBA and finished his professional athletic career in Spain. He returned to Columbus and began his entrepreneurial endeavors. He opened childcare centers, provided financial planning services, and became involved in community organizing.
One of Granville’s many gifts was his ability to connect with people. Sure, he was always willing to sign autographs, but he was also quite skilled at using his “celebrity,” a term he would scoff at, to engage people and direct their attention to issues that plague so many. He advocated for economic empowerment for segments of our community that have become disenfranchised from financial freedom, educational opportunities, decent jobs, equitable health care, and HOPE.
Granville was Chairman of the Board for Metropolitan Community Services – TOUCH, was a member of the HML Ministries, served on the After-School All-Stars board, and gave his time to help kids through basketball camps and programs. He also coached varsity basketball at East High School and worked privately with numerous up-and-coming high school basketball players. He provided consultation on the book “Tigerland: 1968-1969: A City Divided, a Nation Torn Apart, and a Magical Season of Healing,” a story that features East High School. Granville also earned a role in the film “The Crossover that won the Game.”
Granville was preceded in death by Father, Robert Waiters, Mother, Frances Waiters (Armstead), Grandmother, Estelle Porter, and brother, Hilton Waiters. Left to cherish his memories are sisters Linda Bates and Libra Pistella, brother John Sykes, goddaughter Shaunta Robertson, great-uncle, Turner Battle, (Annie), nieces Nikki Calloway and Danielle Benjamin nephews, William Bates, Jeffrey Calloway, Andy Pistella, Tony Pistella and Dominic Pistella, Bryan Sykes and Quinn Nation, and a host of other family and friends.
Granville loved his family, the Columbus community, his Buckeye family, his East High School family, and his vast network of friends.
He was a son, brother, teammate, and cherished friend to so many. He was loved and respected by the Columbus community and beyond. In Granville’s vision, “Hope springs eternal,” and many of us are eternally grateful for his role in our lives, our communities, and in basketball.
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