Grier Family

Male Caregiving

Rob Grier, Jr. is one of the millions of caregivers in the sandwich generation, taking care of elderly parents while also raising a child. Rob has selflessly cared for his love ones starting in 2011 when his mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. After she passed away, Rob continued his caregiving for his father Rob Sr., who served as a missile and radar supervisor for the Air Force. “While physical attention was given to my parents, unfortunately this left less time for me to spend time with my then-wife and daughter,” Rob says, adding that he also did not take enough time to care for himself. In order to be a good caregiver for his love ones, Rob concluded, he needed to care for own health as well. His resolve led to weight loss of more than 200 pounds.

Light of his Life

“It’s about the love and care. You just have to make sure that you’re showing it,” says Rob’s daughter Camille, who is also a caregiver for her beloved “Pop Pop”. The two have a very close relationship. “Just seeing Camille lights up his face,” Rob says of his father. The family bond over their shared love of football – tailgating and attending local games together. Football runs deep in the family. The elder Grier was a civil rights pioneer breaking the color barrier in 1956 in College Football’s Sugar Bowl while playing for the University of Pittsburgh.