Jared James Grantham
Dr. Jared J. Grantham, husband, father, physician and life-long member of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Center, died on the 22nd of January, 2017 while ”Thinking About Urine”. He was 80 years old. He contracted polio in 1950, a disease that took the life of his friend Donnie Richard. Forced to give up dreams of athletic achievement he was guided to Baker University through the generosity of friends where he met, fell madly in love with, and married Carol Elaine Gabbert, a home economics major. Together they raised Janeane Marie (his ‘favorite’ fairy princess), Jared Taylor (Toad), James Aaron (Worm) and Joel Don (Mole), the ‘Wind-in-the-Willows’ team who brought unimaginable joy into the home. Sadly, Joel was taken away in 1987 along with three other KU students when the automobile in which they were riding was stuck by a fast-moving train at an unguarded crossing north of Lawrence, KS.
Jared was born in Dodge City, KS in 1936 to Ista Iola (Taylor) and Jimmie Harrison Grantham, both deceased. Sister Ista Annetta Matthews joined the family in 1950, the year Jared contracted polio. She faithfully served as a staff nurse and supervisor at the Bethesda Naval Hospital for over four decades.
Jared is survived by his wife Carol Elaine Grantham and family including daughter Janeane Houchin, son-in-law Jerry Houchin and their children Ashley Houchin-Darguzas, Mark Darguzas, Joshua Houchin, Addison Houchin, Allissa Houchin; son Jared Taylor Grantham, partner Kelli Harris and his children Lindsay Grantham and Elaina Grantham, and their mother Julie Grantham, as well as a great-grandson Michael Houts; son James Aaron Grantham, daughter-in-law Sheila Grantham and their children Connor Grantham, Emily Grantham, Dillon Grantham, and Aidan Grantham. Additionally, Jared is survived by his sister Ista Annetta Matthews and brother-in-law Larry Matthews, nieces Jenna Luise and Jessica Batchelder.
He lived for 5 years in Pratt, KS moving to Johnson, KS in 1947 where he graduated from high school in 1954. He received and a B.S. degree in biology from Baker U. in 1958 and entered the University of Kansas School of Medicine where he began a life-long collaboration with Dr. Paul R. Schloerb, a surgeon who introduced him to the wonders of kidney research. He spent his free time during medical school and medical residency doing experiments in Dr. Schloerb’s lab, whetting an appetite for knowledge that was never sated. He moved his family to Bethesda, MD in 1964 where he collaborated with Dr. Maurice Burg to develop a new method for studying the inner components of the kidneys; work that is considered seminal. He returned to the University of Kansas in 1969 where he served as Director of the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension in the Department of Medicine for 25 years. He was a founding member and first Director of the Kidney Institute at the University of Kansas Medical Center and the first recipient of the Harry Statland endowed chair in Nephrology. He received the highest professorial rank for faculty members at the University of Kansas, University Distinguished Professor.
A chance observation in his laboratory in 1970 led him to remember his childhood friend, Ronnie Wilkerson, who had polycystic kidney disease. Little was known about PKD at the time and Jared decided to put a major portion of his research effort into discovering the cause and finding treatments for the disease. A chance meeting with Joseph Bruening, whose wife had the disease, led them to establish in Kansas City, MO the Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation, currently an international organization working on behalf of patients around the world. The story of how PKD research came to be enriched by hundreds of scientists working on the problem is told in Jared’s autobiography, “Why I think about urine - and a treatment for Polycystic Kidney Disease”, written after a broken neck in 2006 left him tetraplegic; “Just another divinely inspired ‘shaping experience.’”
He authored two children’s stories, “Ashley and the Mooncorn People” and “Ashley and the Dollmaker”, and authored or co-authored more than 200 research publications. He is one of three who have received from the American Society of Nephrology the Homer Smith and John Peters Awards for research and clinical achievement; he was the founding editor of the society’s journal. Jared’s list of trainees includes 6 graduate students he mentored to PhDs, 16 post-doctoral research fellows and 14 clinical fellows in practice. Around KU Med he is considered one of the best “carpet bag researchers”, a physician-scientist who prowls the basic science buildings looking for willing researchers who have a method or knowledge that would benefit his research in return for financial assistance or a supporting letter for the next grant application or promotion. He counted among his treasured Kansas research colleagues Paul Schloerb, Michael Linshaw, Benjamin Cowley, James Calvet, Lawrence Sullivan, Darren Wallace, Dennis Diederich, Arnold Chonko, Virginia Savin, Franz Winklhofer and Larry Cook; from other universities Maurice Burg, Vicente Torres, Saulo Klahr, Tom Andreoli, William Bennett, and Jerome Lowenstein.
A family visitation will be held, Friday, the 27th of January, 2017 from 6:30pm until 8:30pm at Indian Heights United Methodist Church at 103rd and Nall. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, the 28th of January, 2017 at 2:00pm at the same location. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that remembrances be directed to the Memorial Fund at the Church, to the PKD Foundation, to Baker University or to the Kidney Institute/University c/o the Kansas University Endowment Association. Condolences may be expressed at www.cremationsociety.com
