Vince Gill's Father-in-Law, Dr. Burton Grant, Passes Away

Vince Gill and his wife, Amy Grant, are mourning the loss of Amy Grant's father, Dr. Burton Grant, who passed away on Saturday, June 30. Burton was 86 years old.

"Walking our dad home has been a ten year journey, taking our family places we never imagined. We are all closer because of it. I'm so grateful for my dad," wote Amy.

"My grandfather passed away when my dad was a teenager. When my dad decided to become a doctor it was his mother, my grandmother, who paid his way through school. Years after my grandmother passed, I found his graduation program in a box of her things with a note from my dad. It said, 'Mother, I hope I will serve mankind in such a way as to justify your faith in me. Love, Burton.' "Well done, Dad."

Burton was diagnosed with dementia more than a decade ago. His decline, although heart-breaking for Amy to watch, brought her closer to her own husband.

"Probably not a week goes by that Vince won't say, 'If you need me to hold you, just sit down here beside me and put your head on my shoulder,'" Amy told Closer Weekly. "It's been a journey."

Amy and her siblings took on much of her father's care since Burton began showing signs of illness, even though he also had in-home help.

"My sisters and I are committed to helping dad maintain his dignity, and we've each done some of the dirty work," Amy revealed to AgingCare.com. "Right now, so much of my dad's day-to-day care is falling on the heads of my sisters."

Even among the challenges of recent years, Amy has maintained the ability to do the thing her husband loves the most: smile.

"The first thing that ever drew me to Amy was that smile," says Vince. "I knew how kind she was and all of those things, but when she first smiled at me, that's when my world flipped on its axis."

"She can get on the serious side pretty easily, but I don't get on the serious side very often," he adds. "In that respect, we balance each other well, because I think if you laugh every day you've had a good day."

Burton was preceded in death by his wife, Gloria Grant, who passed away in 2011. Funeral services are pending.

Photo Credit: Getty images/John Shearer