Helen Rose Kinkead Grills

Helen Rose Grills, 93, Kingsport, died Friday, April 25, 2014, at Church Hill Health Care and Rehab, where she had lived since October 2013. She was born in Kingsport October 19, 1920, to Benjamin Harrison Kinkead and Rose Alice Hamilton Kinkead. She lived in Kingsport all her life except for a brief residence in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, in the 1940s and a three-year stay in North Carolina with her daughter, 1998-2001. She was a graduate of Dobyns-Bennett High School.

Helen Rose's family (Kinkeads) were among the first settlers in the Carter's Valley area (later Hawkins County) in 1769-70, and her father and uncles helped to start the Kingsport Times-News.

She married local prominent athlete George (Blackie) Benjamin Grills on February 18, 1939. Helen Rose and George had five children. George died in 1965.

As well as her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Benjamin (Buddy) Harrison Kinkead, her sister Jane Kinkead Nelms, her son George Benjamin Grills, Jr., and one infant grandchild, Vernon Patrick Jones.

Helen Rose was especially proud of her children. She is survived by her sons Patrick Harrison Grills (wife Cathy Whitehill Grills) of Greenville, SC; James Michael (Mickey) Grills (wife Weilee Sun Grills) of Glen Allen, VA; and her daughters Jane Hamilton Grills Jones (husband Ray Alton) of Fuquay-Varina, NC; and Jean Forrest Grills Smith of Boone, NC; and George Jr.'s widow, Barbara Whittle Grills. Also surviving are grandchildren Bennett Hamilton Grills, Laura Lynne Jones Bottomley (husband Greg), Suzanne Elaine Jones Fulghum (husband Wade), Mary Helen Grills Fulmer (husband Shawn), Jane Catherine Grills Smith (husband Cory), Erica Flagg, and Ian Matthew Smith. Her great-grandchildren are James (Jamie) Edward Bottomley, Kathleen (Katie) Elaine Bottomley, Allison Claire Fulghum, and Grace Catherine Fulmer. Also surviving are her sister-in-law, Jane McConnell Kinkead, nieces Janice Kinkead Hiltzheimer and Forrest Nelms Richards, and nephew Harry Thomas Nelms, as well as numerous grandnieces and nephews.

Helen Rose especially enjoyed playing the piano, reading, traveling, and visiting her children all over the U.S. In 1987 she traveled with family to Europe and traced her Kinkead roots to the town of Milton-of-Campsie, Stirlingshire, Scotland.

Helen Rose was a devout Christian. She belonged to First Presbyterian Church for many years and was a member of Westminister Presbyterian Church in Kingsport at the time of her death. She appreciated her many friends at Asbury and at Kiwanis Towers.

The family will receive friends from 6-8 pm Friday (May 2, 2014) at Hamlett-Dobson, Kingsport.

Services will be 2:00 pm Saturday (May 3, 2014) in the chapel with Pastor Steven Warhurst officiating.

Burial will follow in Oak Hill Memorial Park. Pallbearers will be selected from family and friends.

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