The following was written by his daughter, Cheryl Grate. Cheryl served on the Illinois Sign Assn. as a director, officer and president from 1988-2007. She also served on the board and as an officer and president of the former Central Sign Council, as well as on Intl. Sign Assn. committees.
My father, Anton “Tony” Grate passed away on March 10, 2014 at age 89. He was a wonderful man who loved the sign business and brought me along for the fabulous ride. We worked together every day for over 25 years, and I truly enjoyed every minute of it.
Tony was born in 1924 in Joliet, IL. His mother died when he was nine years old, and he went into an orphanage until he was 16. After that, there was neither time nor money for him to finish high school, and he went to work. He learned the value of hard work from his father, whom he dearly loved and respected.
My Dad served in the U.S. Army during World War II under General George Patton. After his honorable discharge, he did earn his GED, but it was not his formal education that made him special. Tony was always an “idea” person and a hard worker, and these two traits lead to his success.
He started Grate Signs, Inc. with his brother Joe in 1949. Through the years, he owned or was involved with many other successful business ventures. My Dad held six U.S. patents, but sign people will especially remember Best Lighting for its unique fluorescent lamp and The Red Staple Machine for assembling channel letters.
Tony was well known for his good nature and his jokes. He was extremely generous with his time and resources and always willing to help others. My father will be deeply missed by the many, many people who respected and loved him, and I am at the top of that list.