Grant Knute Hagestad
July 20, 1937-Oct. 25, 2025
Portola Valley and Carson City, California and Nevada
Grant “Gary” Knute Hagestad, 88, of Portola Valley California and Carson City, Nevada, passed away peacefully on October 25, 2025, surrounded by family and friends.
Born July 20, 1937, in San Mateo, CA, to Hamilton and Ruth Hagestad, Gary grew up in Placerville and spent his youth surveying the Sierra Mountains with his father. He graduated with honors from Sonora High School and earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering, an M.S. in Civil Engineering and Construction Management and an M.B.A. from Stanford University.
In 1976, Grant co-founded Estate Homes in Campbell, later expanding to Dublin, Fairfield, and Vacaville. As president and CEO, he oversaw construction of more than 1,500 homes across the Bay Area and Solano County.
Grant cherished time with his family—teaching his children, Erik and Jeanne, to ride bikes and horses, coaching soccer, hiking with grandchildren, and taking family trips from Wyoming to Hawaii. With his wife Betty, he loved traveling across the U.S. and abroad, golfing and scuba diving, and cheering for the 49ers and Stanford football.
Grant’s deep and abiding faith proved to be a constant source of peace and strength throughout his life. It sustained him through challenges and brought him comfort and courage during his battle with cancer, reminding all who loved him of his steadfast trust in God’s care and grace.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Hamilton and Ruth Hagestad; first wife, Patricia Graham Smith; and son, Erik Hagestad. He is survived by his wife, Betty Nelson Gravdahl; sister, Laura Stallone; daughters, Jeanne Hagestad, Colleen (Dudley Gardner) Carscallen, and Lori (Jean-François) Poujol; grandchildren, Adam, Glenn, and Shannon Carscallen, Tristan, Savannah, and Sebastien Poujol; and eight great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held Friday, November 14, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Timothy’s Lutheran Church, 5100 Camden Ave, San Jose, CA 95124.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Timothy’s Lutheran Church. Link: https://www.stlcsj.org
Tags: business
