Early life and education Thomas Grady was born on October 9, 1914, in
Chicago, Illinois, the son of a police captain, Michael Grady, who twice arrested
Al Capone. He attended
Archbishop Quigley Preparatory Seminary in Chicago and
St. Mary of the Lake Seminary in Mundelein, Illinois.
Ordination and ministry On April 23, 1938, Grady was
ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Chicago by Cardinal
George Mundelein. Grady studied in
Rome for a year before returning to Chicago. He earned a
Master of Arts degree in English from
Loyola University Chicago in 1944. He oversaw the establishment 18 new parishes, a tourism ministry, the San Pedro Spiritual Development Center on the shores of Lake Howell, and a Mission Office to forge a relationship with a sister diocese. This sister diocese is the
Diocese of San Juan de la Maguana in the
Dominican Republic. He expanded ministries to migrants and minorities, founded a scholarship program for
African American students, and helped develop apartment buildings for the elderly. He also wrote a weekly column called "The Bishop's Corner" for the
Florida Catholic weekly newspaper.
Retirement and death After reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75, Grady resigned as bishop of Orlando on December 12, 1989. He died from
kidney disease at his home in
Altamonte Springs, Florida, at age 87 on April 21, 2002. ==Awards and honors==