Gary Eave, a man of deep faith, a former All-American athlete, and a devoted family man, recently completed a journey that began 47 years ago by returning to Grambling State University. Eave, who first enrolled in 1981, is now, at 62, finally graduated.
This achievement fulfills promises he made to his loved ones and his coach and solidifies the legacy he aspired to create.
“I feel complete,” he told Grambling State News. “Grambling [State] gave me so much. And now, I’ve finished what I started.”
He also told KNOE, “I was just really proud. To have God allow me, all these years later, to be able to do that.”
Eave’s strong bond with Grambling started in his youth when attending Baptist Youth Encampments on campus helped him discover his purpose. It felt like fate when Coach Ellis offered a scholarship to the tall, slender athlete from Bastrop, Louisiana.
Now, Eave is back at the university that provided him with his foundational values and sense of community.
“I kept looking at him and said, that guy’s a ball player,” Ellis stated. “But beyond talent, Gary had character. He came from a strong, spiritual family. Grambling was the place he needed to be.”
Under Coach Ellis, Eave excelled, becoming an All-American pitcher who led Grambling to three SWAC championships and NCAA tournament appearances. His skill took him to the Atlanta Braves, Seattle Mariners, and San Francisco Giants, providing him with opportunities to travel globally.
Eave met Kathy Grimm in a Carver Hall biology lab in 1982. Their 42-year love story included raising children, shared ministry, and unwavering mutual support, all rooted in the university where they met.
Kathy was Eave’s greatest advocate, his encouragement and accountability, who countered his self-doubt. Her deepest wish was for him to complete his degree.
“She cheered me in baseball, in life, in ministry,” he said. “Completing my degree was always her desire for me.”
The family’s academic legacy is strong, with Grambling State and Dillard University degrees displayed on the mantle. However, Eave always felt one degree was noticeably missing.
“I wanted my degree to sit on the mantle right next to my children’s,” he stated. “I wanted my grandchildren to see that I didn’t give up. That I finished what I started.”
Kathy’s death in May 2024 was very heartbreaking for Eave, but it made him even more determined to keep the promise he had made to her and create a legacy for his family. Even though other local colleges were ready to accept him, Eave decided he would only finish his degree at the school where he originally started.
“Everything about my life was embedded in Grambling [State],” he said. “To earn a degree anywhere else wouldn’t match the story God wrote for me.”
Eave returned to school in the summer of 2024. His advisors helped him choose a Bachelor’s degree in General Studies with a minor in Criminal Justice, a good fit for his life. He started again in July, using his faith and focus on his studies to cope with his sadness.
“There were times I was reading through tears,” he said. “But I could still hear my wife cheering. I could still hear Coach Ellis saying, ‘Finish strong.’ And I knew I had to finish—for all of them.”
READ ALSO: Inmate becomes first woman to graduate from jail’s CDL program to become a truck driver
Eave, an associate pastor in Franklin, Louisiana, now directs Love and a Hurting Heart, a trauma recovery ministry. Its values (empathy, accountability, and spiritual principles) reflect the community, care, and character he developed at Grambling State, remaining connected to the professors and mentors who shaped him.
“I never forgot how Grambling [State] embraced me,” he said. “Their love shaped the man I am.”
For Coach Ellis, Eave’s return is both personal and profound.
“Gary was an All-American and a leader,” Ellis said. “But more importantly, he kept his promise—to himself, to his family, and to Grambling. He returned. And he finished strong. I’m very proud.”
On December 5, Eave walked across the stage, fulfilling a promise to his wife. His achievement was a display of gratitude for his parents, admiration for his coach, pride for his children, and a powerful message of perseverance for his grandchildren.
“For my grandchildren to see this moment—to know what’s possible—that means everything,” he said. “This degree is for all of them.”
READ ALSO: Young inmate at Rikers Island prison graduates as high school valedictorian
