Arnold A. "Tony" Grotrian

Arnold Anton “Tony” Grotrian, 88, peacefully entered into eternal life, surrounded by family, on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, at Bridge Hospice Care Center in Findlay.

He was born June 4th, 1938, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, to the late Herman and Gertrude (Thieme) Grotrian. Tony married Linda Smith and they later divorced.

Tony was a 1956 graduate of Concordia Lutheran High School. He was an avid Disc Golf player up to age 87, often found pulling along his oxygen tank.

Tony had spent half his life in Indiana and half of it in Ohio. His work history covers fifty-five years in retail visual merchandising and displays along with developing store layouts and remodeling.

Tony retired in November 2009 after loosing a grandson to the opiate epidemic that is sweeping Ohio and the United States. He is an example of someone who, from tragedy, became passionate about the issue in order to prevent others from having a similar experience by using his professional retail life experiences to dedicating his efforts to this cause full time.

Tony had worked tirelessly over the years to address the issue of opiate addiction in Hancock County, Ohio, and has attended countless meetings, conferences and training seminars all over the state and country, on behalf of this issue, bringing back ideas that can be tried in Hancock County.

In 2010, the Hancock County Opiate Drug Task Force was formed, and Tony has served on three of the committees ever since its formation. He was honored by his local ADAMHS Board as Volunteer of the Year in 2012.

In April 2012, Governor Kasich appointed Tony to the position of Member, Chemical Dependency Professionals Board. In July 2013, he was selected to serve as a member of the Advisory Council for the Drug Free Action Alliance, a statewide prevention organization based in Columbus.

He also served on the Advisory Council for G.A.P., which is an acronym for moving from Grief to Action for Prevention, a statewide group supporting individuals, providing a voice for families, and mobilizing communities.

His last duties include being a facilitator for “You’re Not Alone” (Hancock County Ohio), a new support group for family and friends of those addicted to substance use disorder in Hancock County. With a new Common Pleas Drug Court this year in Hancock County, he was asked to be a member of its Drug Court Advisory Board.

He actively engaged in promoting and advocating for H.B. 110, known as Good Samaritan Law, a law to provide some immunity from prosecution to a person that calls 911 to save the life of an overdose victim.

Those left behind to cherish Tony’s memory are his children, Andre Anton (Lisa) Grotrian of Findlay, and Tonia Kay Lynn (Leon) Thornton of Bluffton; nine grandchildren; and numerous great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his daughters, Lora (John) Bopp, and Jodi Spratt; brother, Fredrick Grotrian; sister, Lois Karr; and his grandson, Aaron Anton Grotrian.

Friends and family may visit from 5-8 p.m. Wednesday, July 8, 2026, at HUFFORD FAMILY FUNERAL HOME, 1500 Manor Hill Rd., Findlay, (419-422-1500). Additional visitation will be held Thursday, July 9, from 10-11 a.m., followed by Tony’s funeral service at 11 a.m. at Concordia Lutheran Church, 1431 6th St., Findlay, with Pastor David DePaoli officiating. Interment will follow in Houcktown Cemetery.

Memorial contributions in Tony’s name may be made to Concordia Lutheran Church.