John F. Grice, chairman of a Towson engineering firm, died July 30 of lung cancer at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center. He was 69.

At his death, he was chairman of the board of Henry Adams Inc., consulting engineers, where he began his career in 1952. Earlier, he had been president and treasurer of the company.

Born in Pittsburgh, he moved to Baltimore in 1931 and was educated in city schools. He was a 1943 graduate of Polytechnic Institute and earned his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the Johns Hopkins University in 1946, completing the course in three years. He was a member of Tau Beta Pi, the national honor society for engineers.

He worked in the construction industry from 1947 to 1952, when he joined Henry Adams Inc.

He was a guest lecturer and member of the Industrial and Professional Advisory Council at Pennsylvania State University and was a curriculum adviser at the Baltimore City Community College.

A registered professional engineer in both Maryland and Delaware, he served as president of the Consulting Engineers Council of Maryland and was a member of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers and the Engineering Society of Baltimore.

He is survived by his wife of 46 years, the former Editha Harman; four sons, John F. Grice Jr. of Fallston, Christopher C. Grice of Towson, Matthew J. Grice of Hampstead and Mark R. Grice of Aspen, Colo.; four daughters, Marcella L. Grice of Cumberland, Katherine A. Grice of Laurel, Teresa M. Grice-Christofferson of Towson and Linda M. Grice of Berlin; a sister, Mary Ina Bourdon of Anne Arundel County; and nine grandchildren.

The family suggested memorial donations to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 43025, Baltimore 21236-0025.

Services were private.