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As a non-native English speaker, I couldn't understand the title until I realized his great-grandfather Michael Zarbatany is his mother's grandfather, instead of his father's grandfather. Why doesn't English distinguish between paternal grandparents and maternal grandparents?

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You just demonstrated how to.

"Why aren't there words instead of phrases for paternal grandparents and maternal grandparents?" is what you mean, right?

Is it really important to distinguish?

It's a cultural thing I guess. I know some people who think of their maternal lineage as if it were less of a family than the paternal one. Their excuse borders religion and superstitions.

I'm interested though which languages distinguish maternal and paternal grandparents. Just like in English, in Polish you simply qualify[1] if things like these matter.

[1] paternal: po mieczu (sword lineage); maternal: po kądzieli (distaff lineage)

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