Kennith Grant Marcum-Jones was born to Harold Gene Marcum Jr. and Mylee Kena Jones on March 2, 2005, and departed from this earth on July 16, 2022. He is the brother of Trai Marcum, Kaile Richey, and Cameron Marcum-Jones, and he is brothers-in-law with Kaile’s husband, Tyler Richey. Grant is also the loving uncle of Trai’s son, Gracin Marcum. He is survived by his parents, siblings, and grandmothers, Ann Marcum and Jeraldine Jones and is preceded in death by his grandfathers, Kennith Ray Jones and Harold Gene Marcum.
Grant is a member of the PVHS Senior Class of 2023, and he was over-the-moon about beginning his senior year. He began his academic career as a Whitebead Chief, graduated from Whitebead in May of 2019, and headed off in the fall of that same year to become a Panther at Pauls Valley Junior High School. After his freshman year at PVJH, Grant’s always-positive energy lit up the halls of Pauls Valley High School, where he played football and wrestled. Grant loved all sports, but football and wrestling were two of his life’s great loves, and according to all who knew him, he approached them both with wholehearted dedication.. As a senior, he would have been a three-year starting linebacker for the Pauls Valley Panthers. Head Football Coach, Dusty Raper, describes Grant as “our energy guy, who loved playing the game. He was our heart and soul.” Coach Raper says Grant was a passionate player with an infectious smile, who was never in a bad mood. “If you were having a bad day, then being around Grant made your day instantly better. He always saw the good in everything.” Coach Chad Chronister agreed, saying that “Grant was super supportive of all his teammates. He was an important part of our defense and an even more important part of our leadership. He was very intense on the football field and always upbeat. Regardless of circumstances, Grant never gave up the belief that we would win.” Moreover, all those same sentiments are echoed in the comments of PVHS Wrestling Coach Brett Knight: “Grant made a lasting impact through his relationships with his teammates and was a bridge between the different groups of wrestlers. He always ensured that his teammates were included, regardless of the circumstances. Grant was always high energy and would never quit no matter how hot or difficult a practice may get. He continually encouraged others around him and always had a funny remark to make things better.” And when Grant wasn’t playing on the field or rolling on the mat, he could be found playing online video games with his friends. Some of his favorites included Rainbow Six Siege, Brawlhalla, and Smite.
Grant was great at seeking out and finding all of life’s joys, and he will always be well-known for being a jokester–he loved to make people laugh. His greatest joys, however, always seemed to spring from the relationship he shared with his big brother and best friend Cameron. Throughout his entire life, Grant took great pleasure in following any trail forged by Cameron–trails into boyhood antics and, later, trails into sports, friendships, and many shared interests. The two brothers were inseparable– together always–so much so that people often mistook one for the other. Grant’s big sister, Kaile, remembers her little brother as a sweet and gentle soul who always had a smile for everyone. There were fourteen years between Grant and his older brother Trai, and Trai’s words reflect their special bond: “I’m going to miss gaming with you late at night, when I should have been in bed. I know we weren’t as close as we both would have liked to have been when you were young, but in the past five years, I feel like we grew a strong relationship, and I’m only sad that we couldn’t have started sooner. I’m going to miss and love you forever.”
Services for Grant are under the direction of Wooster’s Funeral Home and will be held at the Pauls Valley High School Auditorium at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, July 22, 2022. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made to the Grant Marcum-Jones Memorial Scholarship Fund at Pauls Valley National Bank in Grant’s memory.
Condolences to the family may be posted at www.woosterfuneralhomes.com.
