Leonard "Griff" C. Griffin, Jr.

Leonard “Griff” C. Griffin, Jr., 79, passed away peacefully on Friday, November 19, 2021.

Len was born May 30, 1942, in Gorman, Texas, to Elva Bumpas and Leonard C. Griffin, Sr. He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Phyllis; his three children, son Phillip Griffin of Charlotte, NC; daughter Sonja Haynes (Jonathan) of Evans, GA; and son Stephen Griffin (Molly) of Waxhaw, NC; his sister, Melinda Miller (John) of Sargent, TX; his brother, Carlton Griffin (Debbie) of Manchaca, TX; and seven grandchildren: Ansley Zora (Zach), J. Britton Haynes, Jr., Emily Bell (Chandler), Abigail Griffin, Rachel Griffin, Evelyn Griffin, and Charlie Griffin.

As the son of a United States Navy Chief Petty Officer, his family frequently accompanied his father to new duty stations to include Agana, Guam; San Diego, CA; Fresno, CA; San Francisco, CA; and Lexington Park, MD. However, when his father was deployed, his mother would bring him and his siblings back “home” to Brownwood, TX, where he spent most of his youth and graduated from Brownwood High School.

In 1964, following graduation from Howard Payne College, he entered the United States Navy as a Navy Supply Corps officer serving in a variety of ships and duty stations, to include USS Procyon (AF-61) deployed to the Western Pacific and Vietnam; Navy Supply Corps School in Athens, GA; Navy Commissary at Pearl Harbor, HI; USS Truxton (CGN-35) deployed to the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean; Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet in San Diego, CA; and finally the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, RI. While in the Navy, he also earned an MBA from Harvard University School of Business. He retired in 1984 at the rank of Commander following 20 years of honorable service to his country.

Having honed his business acumen in the Navy, Griff began a second career by founding Griffin Financial Services, which he owned and operated in Athens, GA for 30 years until retiring in 2014. Having discovered a passion for teaching while in the Navy, Griff found joy instructing personal financial management courses and serving as an adjunct professor for National University in San Diego, CA; Salve Regina University in Newport, RI; and again with the U.S. Naval War College following his retirement from the Navy.

Len’s Navy career inspired a lifelong love of international travel, visiting numerous countries on multiple continents with his wife and family. He was a member of the Athens Area Military Officers Association of America and the Northeast Georgia Navy Supply Corps Foundation. Len was also a member of Beech Haven Baptist Church in Athens, GA.

Funeral services will be held Sunday, December 5, 2021 at 2:00 PM at the chapel of Lord and Stephens Funeral Home, WEST, at 1211 Jimmy Daniel Road, Watkinsville, GA 30677 (www.lordandstephens.com). A private entombment ceremony for immediate family will follow at Evergreen Memorial Park

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Lord and Stephens Funeral Home, WEST, Watkinsville, is in charge of arrangements.