Gregory Paul Groves, 67, passed away on November 15, 2020 in his home.

Greg was born in Northfield, MN on April 8 ^th , 1953 to Raymond and Helen (Ernst) Groves. He spent his childhood in Mankato, MN and graduated from Wilson Campus High School in 1971. As a young man, Greg gained an appreciation for the outdoors and camping from his time working as a youth counselor. Greg went on to work many jobs but found himself back at Clements Chevrolet in Mankato, MN where he met and eventually married his wife of 40 years, Jane (Ayers) Groves. They were married at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Mankato on August 2 ^nd , 1980 and had two sons.  They later moved to Burnsville, MN where Greg worked for Burnsville Nissan until he became General Manager of Universal Ford/Toyota, settling permanently in Rochester. He had a long career with Universal Ford and Toyota and eventually opened Universal Marine & RV in 1992.

Greg always enjoyed meeting new challenges and helping people achieve their own successes. Because of his strong faith, he always knew that his job on Earth was to love and care for the people around him. He was instrumental in helping to start the Hope Lodge in Rochester to aid families that were undergoing cancer treatments at Mayo Clinic. He later started the Local Heroes' Days at Universal Marine & RV to honor and show his appreciation for the local service people not limited to police, firefighters, EMT responders, and past/present military members. He touched many different people's lives and was awarded the Arthur J. Decio Humanitarian Award in 2015 for his philanthropic service, for which he was extremely proud of.

Greg loved his family and cherished making "good times and memories" with Jane, his sons, and grandchildren. He enjoyed spending his free time flying, hunting, fishing, and playing cribbage with his family and friends. He always hoped that people could get to experience good times with their families and friends just as he was able to enjoy with his family and friends.

Greg will be greatly missed by his family, friends, and all those who knew him. He is preceded in death by his parents, father-in-law, and numerous aunts and uncles. He is survived by his wife Jane Groves of Rochester, sons Jacob (Katie) Groves and Tyler (Cydney) Groves of Eyota, grandchildren Jonathan, Cameron, and Audrey, siblings Lynne Groves (Mankato), Tom Groves (Mankato) and Monica Groves (St. Paul), mother-in-law Margaret Ayers (Mankato), and aunt Lois Goertzen (North Newton, KS).

The visitation for Greg will be held on Friday, November 20, 2020 from 5:00PM until 8:00PM in the River Park Chapel at Macken Funeral Home. Please observe social distancing and arrive wearing a mask. There will be a private Funeral Mass for Greg at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Ironwood Springs Christian Ranch or Minnesota Veterans and  Emergency Services Museum.