Grady Elder

Grady Elder, age 69 of Dayton, Ohio was born December 27th 1953 to Grady Elder Sr. and Betty Jean Elder. Beloved by his parents, Grady accepted Christ at an early age, becoming a faithful member of Overcoming Church. Soon after graduating from Colonel White High School in Dayton, OH in 1971, Grady relocated to Indianapolis, IN where he graduated from ITT Technical Institute with an associate degree in electrical engineering in August 1973, while also working at Arby’s on Keystone Ave. where he eventually became the owner, from his partner Ron Horsefield, in 1995. He mentored many young teenagers about their goals, including his son of course, at an early age. In 2008, he opened Grady’s Champion Deli in the same location. 

On Thanksgiving weekend, November 1973, returning home from Dayton, Grady met his wife of forty-three years, Robin Maxey. They married in June 1980, a love story almost fifty years. To this union, they were blessed with their son, Jordan Robert Elder in 1994.  

Always the entrepreneur, in 1984, Grady developed operation S.O.B.B (Save Our Black Businesses); one of the first coupon books for black businesses, by contacting black business owners, churches, and radio stations (WTLC, WGRT, WCEI) throughout the city. A frequent participant of The Black Expo, he introduced gourmet Potato skins to the public, with help from relatives in Dayton and Indianapolis. People would ask, “potato skins?”, he’d reply “Try ‘em, here’s a free sample!” with a smile. Later, Grady would go on to open the Potato Factory, restaurant that featured gourmet baked potatoes, in Kokomo, IN. It was one of the first of its kind, and he would personally do delivery orders to Indy.