OBITUARY Iron County Reporter March 1 2006
COLOMBIA-Jack Griffin, 78, father of Iron River resident Dale Safford, passed away February 17, 2006 in Armenia, Quindio, Colombia, where he had resided for the past 9 years. Death was caused by complications following a stroke.
John Jerome "Jack" Griffin was born November 18, 1927 in Chicago, the son of John Aloysius and Mallvilla Delia (Hill) Griffin. He grew up on the northwest city limits of Chicago in the Montclair section near Grand and Harlem Avenues. He graduated 1945 from Steinmetz High School in Chicago, then attended Wilbur Wright Junior College where he was a member of the swim team.
He married Marie Ann Kmet in June of 1950; a divorce took place in 1974. He then took a trip to several countries to find a wife, and in 1978 married Ruby Gonzalez of Bogota, Colombia. She survives him.
Employment as a Draftsman took him to many states including Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, and Texas where each of his four children were born, and for two decades his career centered around Dow Chemical Company in Midland, Michigan where the children grew up. Later years were spent as a "job shopper" working wherever projects needed a crew, and employment travels were to Alaska during the earthquake of 1964, Washington during the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption, Wisconsin, Colorado, New York, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia. He retired in 1995.
Local golfers may remember Jack as the former club pro who could golf near-par scores both right and left-handed. At age 4 he contracted polio which left him with a shorter leg, but he was active in sports, participating in slow-pitch softball as well as golf and competitive swimming including the Over-50 Senior Olympics. He would develop interests and learn all he could about them by reading and talking to knowledgable people. This led to side businesses such as a tropical fish, golf ball recycling, coin collecting, gun shop owner, candy seller, and video movie collector. World travels were to England, Ireland, the Philippines, Israel, and Spain. He had a strong Christian faith.
In addition to his wife Ruby, he is survived by his children Dale Safford of Iron River, Craig Griffin of Lyons, Illinois, Jill (Ed) Martin of Midland, and Rachel Anger of Wayne, and a sister Mary Jane (Tom) Walsh of Itasca, Illinois. Grandchildren are Sandy, Jackie, Holly, Sam, and Luke Safford; Mark, Matt and Andrew Martin; and Jordan and Justin Anger. A great-grandchild, Easton Martin, also survives.
Following a funeral service at the Gethsemane Baptist church in Armenia, Colombia, cremation took place. Cremains will be buried in Resthaven Cemetery in the spring. [NOTE: Headstone is memorial only! Cremains could not be transported from Colombia to the US. They were scattered in the wind between two rivers in Colombia.]
NOTE: Dad's real name was John, but he had it legally changed to Jack probably in the 1990s.
COLOMBIA-Jack Griffin, 78, father of Iron River resident Dale Safford, passed away February 17, 2006 in Armenia, Quindio, Colombia, where he had resided for the past 9 years. Death was caused by complications following a stroke.
John Jerome "Jack" Griffin was born November 18, 1927 in Chicago, the son of John Aloysius and Mallvilla Delia (Hill) Griffin. He grew up on the northwest city limits of Chicago in the Montclair section near Grand and Harlem Avenues. He graduated 1945 from Steinmetz High School in Chicago, then attended Wilbur Wright Junior College where he was a member of the swim team.
He married Marie Ann Kmet in June of 1950; a divorce took place in 1974. He then took a trip to several countries to find a wife, and in 1978 married Ruby Gonzalez of Bogota, Colombia. She survives him.
Employment as a Draftsman took him to many states including Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, and Texas where each of his four children were born, and for two decades his career centered around Dow Chemical Company in Midland, Michigan where the children grew up. Later years were spent as a "job shopper" working wherever projects needed a crew, and employment travels were to Alaska during the earthquake of 1964, Washington during the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption, Wisconsin, Colorado, New York, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia. He retired in 1995.
Local golfers may remember Jack as the former club pro who could golf near-par scores both right and left-handed. At age 4 he contracted polio which left him with a shorter leg, but he was active in sports, participating in slow-pitch softball as well as golf and competitive swimming including the Over-50 Senior Olympics. He would develop interests and learn all he could about them by reading and talking to knowledgable people. This led to side businesses such as a tropical fish, golf ball recycling, coin collecting, gun shop owner, candy seller, and video movie collector. World travels were to England, Ireland, the Philippines, Israel, and Spain. He had a strong Christian faith.
In addition to his wife Ruby, he is survived by his children Dale Safford of Iron River, Craig Griffin of Lyons, Illinois, Jill (Ed) Martin of Midland, and Rachel Anger of Wayne, and a sister Mary Jane (Tom) Walsh of Itasca, Illinois. Grandchildren are Sandy, Jackie, Holly, Sam, and Luke Safford; Mark, Matt and Andrew Martin; and Jordan and Justin Anger. A great-grandchild, Easton Martin, also survives.
Following a funeral service at the Gethsemane Baptist church in Armenia, Colombia, cremation took place. Cremains will be buried in Resthaven Cemetery in the spring. [NOTE: Headstone is memorial only! Cremains could not be transported from Colombia to the US. They were scattered in the wind between two rivers in Colombia.]
NOTE: Dad's real name was John, but he had it legally changed to Jack probably in the 1990s.
OBITUARY Iron County Reporter March 1 2006
COLOMBIA-Jack Griffin, 78, father of Iron River resident Dale Safford, passed away February 17, 2006 in Armenia, Quindio, Colombia, where he had resided for the past 9 years. Death was caused by complications following a stroke.
John Jerome "Jack" Griffin was born November 18, 1927 in Chicago, the son of John Aloysius and Mallvilla Delia (Hill) Griffin. He grew up on the northwest city limits of Chicago in the Montclair section near Grand and Harlem Avenues. He graduated 1945 from Steinmetz High School in Chicago, then attended Wilbur Wright Junior College where he was a member of the swim team.
He married Marie Ann Kmet in June of 1950; a divorce took place in 1974. He then took a trip to several countries to find a wife, and in 1978 married Ruby Gonzalez of Bogota, Colombia. She survives him.
Employment as a Draftsman took him to many states including Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, and Texas where each of his four children were born, and for two decades his career centered around Dow Chemical Company in Midland, Michigan where the children grew up. Later years were spent as a "job shopper" working wherever projects needed a crew, and employment travels were to Alaska during the earthquake of 1964, Washington during the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption, Wisconsin, Colorado, New York, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia. He retired in 1995.
Local golfers may remember Jack as the former club pro who could golf near-par scores both right and left-handed. At age 4 he contracted polio which left him with a shorter leg, but he was active in sports, participating in slow-pitch softball as well as golf and competitive swimming including the Over-50 Senior Olympics. He would develop interests and learn all he could about them by reading and talking to knowledgable people. This led to side businesses such as a tropical fish, golf ball recycling, coin collecting, gun shop owner, candy seller, and video movie collector. World travels were to England, Ireland, the Philippines, Israel, and Spain. He had a strong Christian faith.
In addition to his wife Ruby, he is survived by his children Dale Safford of Iron River, Craig Griffin of Lyons, Illinois, Jill (Ed) Martin of Midland, and Rachel Anger of Wayne, and a sister Mary Jane (Tom) Walsh of Itasca, Illinois. Grandchildren are Sandy, Jackie, Holly, Sam, and Luke Safford; Mark, Matt and Andrew Martin; and Jordan and Justin Anger. A great-grandchild, Easton Martin, also survives.
Following a funeral service at the Gethsemane Baptist church in Armenia, Colombia, cremation took place. Cremains will be buried in Resthaven Cemetery in the spring. [NOTE: Headstone is memorial only! Cremains could not be transported from Colombia to the US. They were scattered in the wind between two rivers in Colombia.]
NOTE: Dad's real name was John, but he had it legally changed to Jack probably in the 1990s.
COLOMBIA-Jack Griffin, 78, father of Iron River resident Dale Safford, passed away February 17, 2006 in Armenia, Quindio, Colombia, where he had resided for the past 9 years. Death was caused by complications following a stroke.
John Jerome "Jack" Griffin was born November 18, 1927 in Chicago, the son of John Aloysius and Mallvilla Delia (Hill) Griffin. He grew up on the northwest city limits of Chicago in the Montclair section near Grand and Harlem Avenues. He graduated 1945 from Steinmetz High School in Chicago, then attended Wilbur Wright Junior College where he was a member of the swim team.
He married Marie Ann Kmet in June of 1950; a divorce took place in 1974. He then took a trip to several countries to find a wife, and in 1978 married Ruby Gonzalez of Bogota, Colombia. She survives him.
Employment as a Draftsman took him to many states including Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, and Texas where each of his four children were born, and for two decades his career centered around Dow Chemical Company in Midland, Michigan where the children grew up. Later years were spent as a "job shopper" working wherever projects needed a crew, and employment travels were to Alaska during the earthquake of 1964, Washington during the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption, Wisconsin, Colorado, New York, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia. He retired in 1995.
Local golfers may remember Jack as the former club pro who could golf near-par scores both right and left-handed. At age 4 he contracted polio which left him with a shorter leg, but he was active in sports, participating in slow-pitch softball as well as golf and competitive swimming including the Over-50 Senior Olympics. He would develop interests and learn all he could about them by reading and talking to knowledgable people. This led to side businesses such as a tropical fish, golf ball recycling, coin collecting, gun shop owner, candy seller, and video movie collector. World travels were to England, Ireland, the Philippines, Israel, and Spain. He had a strong Christian faith.
In addition to his wife Ruby, he is survived by his children Dale Safford of Iron River, Craig Griffin of Lyons, Illinois, Jill (Ed) Martin of Midland, and Rachel Anger of Wayne, and a sister Mary Jane (Tom) Walsh of Itasca, Illinois. Grandchildren are Sandy, Jackie, Holly, Sam, and Luke Safford; Mark, Matt and Andrew Martin; and Jordan and Justin Anger. A great-grandchild, Easton Martin, also survives.
Following a funeral service at the Gethsemane Baptist church in Armenia, Colombia, cremation took place. Cremains will be buried in Resthaven Cemetery in the spring. [NOTE: Headstone is memorial only! Cremains could not be transported from Colombia to the US. They were scattered in the wind between two rivers in Colombia.]
NOTE: Dad's real name was John, but he had it legally changed to Jack probably in the 1990s.
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