William H. "Griff" Griffin, Sr. Obituary (1933

Let Us Pause To Honor the Memory of Mr. William H. "Griff" Griffin, Sr. Mr. William H. "Griff" Griffin, Sr., age 81, of Hanover, Indiana, entered this life on January 19, 1933, in Taylorville, Illinois. He was the loving son of the late, Howard Wayne Griffin and Jesse Kearney Griffin Lanzotti. Griff was raised in Taylorville and was a 1951 graduate of Taylorville High School. He received his associate degree from Greenville College. Griff was inducted into the United States Air Force on May 26, 1952 in St. Louis. He rose to the rate of Staff Sergeant during the Korean War. He was honorably discharged on May 25, 1956 from Selfridge Air Force Base, Michigan receiving the Korean Service Medal, Nation Defense Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal and the United Nations Service Medal. Griff was united in marriage on Feb. 22, 1953 to Mary Ruth Wheeler in Bethany, Illinois. This happy union of sixty one years was blessed with three sons and two daughters. Griff retired after 43 years of employment having served as the national safety director for Power Systems in Chicago and had worked as a maintenance foreman at Hanover College. He had resided in Hanover since 1982 and had served as the assistant football coach for Hanover College. Griff was a faithful member of Hanover Baptist Church, serving as a deacon, Sunday school teacher and was known as the "Candy Man". He enjoyed clocks, cups, metal detecting, Hanover College Athletics and was a rock hound. Griff died on Tuesday, August 26, 2014, at 10:45 a.m. at the Thornton Terrace Health Campus in Hanover, Indiana. Click Here for Funeral Service or Tribute Video A LOVING FAMILY Griff will be missed by his loving wife of sixty one years, Mary Ruth Wheeler Griffin of Hanover, Indiana; his loving sons, William H. "Junior" Griffin, Jr. and his wife, Kathy of Elgin, Illinois, Lloyd Griffin of Kingsport, Tennessee, Ernie Griffin and his wife, Michelle of Layton, Utah; his loving daughters, Candi Blankenship and her husband, Rick of Crossett, Arkansas, Heidi Henderson and her husband, Darren of Madison, Maine; his grandchildren, Elijah, Seth, Ian, Zachary, Will, Joshua, Matthew, Jacob, Railene, Rebecca, Hannah, Annika & Katiyanna; his great grandchild, Elijah, Jr. He was preceded in death by father, Howard Wayne Griffin, mother, Jesse Kearney Griffin Lanzotti, and his half sister, Kathleen. FUNERAL CEREMONY Funeral services will be conducted Sunday, August 31, 2014, at 2:00 pm, by Pastor J.D. Traylor at the Hanover Baptist Church, 151 West Main Street in Hanover, Indiana. Interment will follow in the Indiana Veterans Memorial Cemetery,1415 North Gate Road in Madison, Indiana VISITATION Friends may call Saturday from 4:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at the Morgan & Nay Funeral Centre, 325 Demaree Drive in Madison, Indiana and Sunday from 1:00 p.m. until time of the service at the Hanover Baptist Church, 151 West Main Street in Hanover, Indiana. MILITARY HONORS A final salute will be conducted at the Hanover Baptist Church on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. by Jefferson Post 9, of the American Legion with full military honors to follow at the Indiana Veterans Memorial Cemetery Chapel, 1415 North Gate Road in Madison, Indiana. MEMORIAL EXPRESSIONS Memorial contributions may be made to the Merkel Cell Carcinoma. Cards are available at the funeral home. To send a flower arrangement in memory of William H. "Griff" Griffin, Sr., please click here to visit our sympathy store.