John Griffin

Bluefield, WV- John Griffin went to be with the Lord on July 29, 2012. Born June 22, 1940, in Raleigh, NC, he was the only child of the late John Davis Griffin, Sr. and Vivian Parker Griffin Sheffield. He was also preceded in death by his stepfather, Earl Sheffield. John grew up in Portsmouth, VA, graduating from Wilson High School where he met high school sweetheart, Patricia Anne Tribble. He then attended Old Dominion University studying engineering. His happy 52-year marriage to Pat was blessed by a son, John D. Griffin, III, who lives with his wife Wanda in Chesapeake, VA; and a daughter, Lisa Griffin Pease of Virginia Beach, VA, and Kenneth Pease, Sr. of Chesapeake, VA. His family includes grandchildren Kenneth E. Pease, Jr., Elizabeth Morrison, Laura Griffin, Emili Griffin Delahunty and four great-grandchildren.. John worked for Fines Men Shop for 13 years and was manager of Fines Men Shop in Virginia Beach, VA. In 1973, he joined Norfolk & Western Railway, working in the paint shop. In the merger to form Norfolk Southern, the family moved to Chattanooga, TN. Working in the Bridge and Building Department, John was transferred to Bluefield, WV, in 1991, and served as project supervisor until retirement in l995. He served as member and chairman of the City of Bluefield's Board of Zoning Appeals for many years. John and Pat have sung in church choirs since 1973. They joined Westminster Presbyterian Church in 2001. Deeply committed to missions, John went on 5 mission trips to Uganda and one to Nicaragua. He served as a ruling elder in the church for many years; and as Chairman of the World Outreach Committee which oversees all mission endeavors. Warm and kind, John often waved aside the right hand of fellowship to give a bear hug. For the past decade, John and Pat have managed the food pantry of the Bluefield Union Mission, stocking food, packing up more than 500 bags of groceries a month, serving untold meals, and assuring that families in need were given supplies and hope. A man of deeply ingrained values and work ethics, John was a skilled woodworker who began carving and presenting others with wooden crosses when he first went on the mission field. Bay- and surf-fishing, boating and hunting, enjoying the wild dunes of Hatteras, NC, and the purple mountain majesty of his home were his greatest pleasures. The family requests that instead of flowers, contributions be made in his honor to the Food Pantry of the Bluefield Union Mission or the mission fund of Westminster Presbyterian Church. They also wish to commend the Bluefield Rescue Squad. A graveside service will be held at 12 noon on Saturday at Olive Branch Cemetery. The family will receive friends in Loving Funeral Home, Churchland Chapel from 11:00-11:30 prior to the service.

John Griffin

June 22, 1940 - June 29, 2012