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Harry Grohmann, a gentle panhandler who loved dogs, died of organ failure at El Camino Health Hospital in Mountain View on March 11, his friend Susan Frank said. He was 75.
Grohmann was a well-recognized presence in Mountain View, having spent decades panhandling in front of Safeway at Shoreline Boulevard and later on, Miramonte Avenue. Known for his cowboy hat and canine companions, Grohmann masked a difficult life with a friendly smile, Frank said.
Grohmann was unhoused for many years, although this was not always obvious to people as he looked well-kept. He also was a good caretaker to his rescue dogs, Sandy and Buffy. Many people got to know Grohmann because of his dogs, Frank said.
Grohmann was friendly to everyone who stopped to talk to him, but he also was wary of people and had little trust in social welfare agencies. He had been let down many times during his lifetime, Frank said.
Grohmann was born in New Jersey on July 8, 1948. When he was a teenager, Grohmann and his sister were placed in an orphanage by their father. Grohmann ran away at the age of 16 and lost contact with his family, Frank said.
As a young man, Grohmann lived in North Carolina and worked on and off for a number of years, Frank said. Later on, the social security payments helped with Grohmann’s basic living expenses in Mountain View. They amounted to $1,200 a month.
Grohman also lived in Palm Springs and San Francisco before he moved to Mountain View. Grohmann felt unsafe living as an unhoused person in San Francisco. He worried about his belongings getting stolen and being hurt by other people, Frank said.
Frank met Grohmann about 20 years ago while he was panhandling outside of Safeway on Shoreline Boulevard. Grohmann was living in a tent underneath Highway 101. Every so often, he would stay in a motel, Frank said.
The motel owners were kind to Grohmann and eventually made an arrangement so that he and his dogs could stay at the motel permanently. Grohmann paid $1,800 a month for a room. Frank would help out a few times a year whenever he was short with rent, she said.
But then about 10 years ago, the motel owners announced that they planned to sell their property. It put Grohmann’s housing situation in a tailspin. Frank stepped in to help, knowing that Grohmann would not be able to find an apartment on his own.
Grohmann never learned how to read or write, a situation that he felt embarrassed about and hid from most people. As a result, it was difficult for him to access basic social services.
“Homeless service agencies require someone to be mobile, to read, write, to trust. He wasn’t any of those things. He trusted me because I kept showing up,” Frank said.
With the help of Charities Housing, Frank managed to get Grohmann into a subsidized studio apartment at San Antonio Place in Mountain View. Grohmann also adopted a rescue dog, Henley, and had it certified as an emotional support animal. When Henley got sick and had to be put down, Grohmann adopted his last rescue dog, Jake the beagle.
Once Grohman was in more stable affordable housing, his reliance on panhandling diminished. He frequented Safeway less and spent more time watching TV, walking Jake, sleeping and going to Walmart and Target. He also had an epic movie collection, Frank said.
Grohmann’s declining health was another reason he stopped panhandling. Grohmann’s ailments were many, Frank said. He had a heart attack, stroke, diabetes, congestive heart failure, a bleeding ulcer and kidney failure. Frank, who was Grohmann’s power of attorney, helped him enroll in Medicare for better access to health care and doctors.
Grohmann was in the hospital numerous times before a staph infection led to organ failure on March 11.
Grohmann’s dog, Jake, was rehoused with help from the nonprofit Nor Cal Beagle Rescue.
When Grohmann died, there was no next of kin to claim the body, Frank said. Santa Clara County has an indigent cremation program for these kinds of circumstances. After sharing Grohmann’s story, the county administrator told Frank, “You took care of him for 20 years, we will take care of him now.” Grohmann was cremated and his ashes were spread out to sea, something that he would have appreciated and wanted, Frank said.
Thank you for this humanizing story.
Neighbors at their best. RIP