Grant Madison Backerman

Grant Madison Backerman age 21 of Concord passed away on Saturday, May 2, 2015 in Winston-Salem, NC. He was the beloved son of Jeffrey Backerman and Beverly Berman and loving brother of Lauren Backerman.

Born in Denver, Colorado on May 25, 1993, Grant and his family moved to Concord in 2004 and Grant graduated from Concord-Carlisle High School in 2011. Grant was an excellent student and active in sports including soccer and wrestling. Soccer was a life-long passion of Grant's and he played for several local soccer clubs and CCHS. Grant started wrestling his freshmen year, developing a real passion for the sport and soon became a leader on the team, respected and admired by his teammates.

Grant had a thirst for knowledge. His academic achievements never went unnoticed by his teachers and peers. He was hardworking, caring, funny, an avid outdoorsman and an inspiration to many. Grant spent summers hiking and camping with Adventure Treks in the Northwest and Alaska, culminating in completing his Peak Leadership Summit. He also loved to travel internationally and spent one semester in New Zealand. During the summer breaks, Grant always returned to Concord to be with his family and local friends where they had many cherished times together.

Grant accomplished a lot in his short life, graduating magna cum laude, May 18, 2015, from Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC with a Bachelor of Sciences in Chemistry and a Bachelor of Arts in Physics. He consistently maintained high honors and was to have attended the University of Minnesota in the fall to pursue a doctorate in Materials Science.

Along with his parents and sister, Grant is survived by his paternal grandfather Henry M. Snell, his wife Diane Tobin of Prescott, Arizona his maternal grandparents, Byrd and Izola Berman of Lakewood, CO, and the late Corrine Snell. He is also survived by his uncle and aunts, Starke Berman, Helen Berman, Melissa Wheeler and Jennifer Blohm and many caring and loving second cousins and friends.

Family and friends will gather to honor and remember Grant on Saturday, May 30 from 11:30 am-12:30 pm at Nashawtuc Country Club, 1861 Sudbury Road, Concord. A celebration of his life will continue after the service.

In lieu of flowers the Backerman family requests that gifts in Grant's memory be made to:
The Grant M. Backerman Foundation
89 Mattison Drive
Concord, MA 01742.

This Foundation will help support youth that embody Grant's adventurous spirit, passion for learning, intellectual curiosity, love of nature, strong work ethic and kindness and generosity to participate in an Adventure Treks' summer trip. Grant enjoyed many of these trips which brought enduring friendships, challenging and amazing outdoor experiences and great personal growth, indelibly changing his life.