More detail on this person: Paul "Pete" Leonald Grubbs III, 67, of Eustis passed away on December
22, 2016 in Orlando. He was born on September 29, 1949 in Honolulu, Hawaii; the son of Paul L Grubbs
Jr. and Virginia Grubbs. Pete served our country in the US Army during Vietnam as a helicopter pilot
with the 71st Assault Helicopter Company, earning the Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal,
Valorous Unit Award, and Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation under the call-sign "Rattler 22."
He worked for 35+ years in law enforcement, first as an officer with Winter Park Police Dept. and
then for almost 30 years as an Orange County Deputy Sheriff. He married the love of his life E.
Michele (Rizzo) Grubbs in 1970, and they enjoyed 46 years of marriage until his passing. He was a
motorcycle and aviation enthusiast.
Pete leaves behind to cherish his memory, his wife Michele, son Chris Grubbs and wife Annette,
daughters Kathleen Johnson-Cossey and Kelly Grubbs, 7 grandchildren, and a great grandchild. Also
surviving are his sisters Christine Johnson and Mary Grubbs-Caldwell. He was preceded in death by
his parents.
A Memorial service celebrating his life will be held on Saturday, January 7, 2017 at 10:00 am at
Baldwin- Fairchild Oaklawn Chapel in Sanford. Family and friends will gather at 9am in the funeral
home. Burial with military honors will be at 10:30 am Monday, January 9, 2017 in Florida National
Cemetery, Bushnell, Florida. His family requests that donations in lieu of flowers be made to either
the Alzheimer's Association or the Army Aviation Museum at Fort Rucker, Alabama.
Burial information: Florida National Cemetery, Bushnell, FL
This information was last updated 01/03/2017
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Date posted on this site: 01/11/2025
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