Frederick Daniel Griswold Jr.

Frederick Daniel Griswold, Jr., 71, unexpectedly died on Saturday, July 18, 2026 of a natural cause with his wife by his side in his favorite place on the shore of Lake Michigan near Elk Rapids, Michigan.

Dan was born in St. Joseph, Michigan, on October 22, 1954 to Dan and Linda Griswold. He grew up alongside his sisters, Pam and Susan, spending his youth playing sports and spending time on the water. After graduating from St. Joseph High School, he went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Michigan State University, where he also played basketball. He later earned a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Iowa.

He married Alice in 1978 and settled in Dubuque, Iowa, where he launched his lifelong career at John Deere. A man who took deep pride in his craft and a job done right, he brought his dedication, loyalty, and work ethic to responsibilities in design, safety, and testing, relishing his opportunities to work with great people around the company and the world. He enjoyed his work and the people so much that he continued as an expert witness for legal matters in retirement, a venture providing the satisfaction of challenging work carefully done. His dedication to his career went hand in hand with his devotion to his family. He poured that same loyalty, hard work, and integrity into his personal life, ensuring his career never overshadowed his tremendous role as a husband, father, and grandfather.

Beyond his work, he found quiet joy in a good book in morning hours too early for others to awake, a dip in a lake that was too cold for others to just dive in, and tinkering on a project too frustrating for others to attempt. But nothing brought out his spirit quite like being a grandfather. His grandchildren were a boundless source of joy. The absolute highlight of his year was gathering the entire family together for a week on Lake Michigan, a decades-long tradition filled with laughter, swimming, boating, skiing, campfires, and the comforting chaotic swirl of all the people he cherished most.

Dan is survived by his wife, Alice Griswold; sisters Susan Mamer and Pam (John) Zechlinski; sisters-in-law Frances O’Laughlin and Feli (Brian Kitzman) Lauffer; children Andrea (Dave) Runde, Dan (Ashley) Griswold, and Chelsea (Braegen) Vroom; grandchildren August, Fitz, Alice, and Mac Runde, Drake, Ryland, and Dax Griswold, Lorelei, Maebel, and Nigel Vroom; and numerous nieces and nephews along with their families.

He is preceded in death by his parents and his parents-in-law, Curt and Alexandra Engelbrecht.

There will be a small, private family ceremony in northern Michigan; there will be a celebration of life in Dubuque at a later date this fall.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating blood—honoring a civic responsibility that was important to Dan—or making a contribution to Habitat for Humanity. Or, simply take a few moments to read a good book with a cup of coffee, enjoy a bike ride, or grill dinner with the family.

The family would like to thank the friends and emergency responders in Antrim County for their efforts on behalf of Dan.

Arrangements are in the care of the Central Lake Chapel of Mortensen Funeral Homes.  Please sign his online guestbook at www.mortensenfuneralhomes.com