Harold Douglas Griffin

BYRD FUNERAL HOME ON WEST MAIN

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Posted by: ByrdFuneralHome
[email protected]
334.793.3003
Date: Jul 06 2016 10:43 AM

Harold Douglas Griffin, 89, a resident of Dothan, Alabama, passed away peacefully on Sunday, July 3, 2016 at Flowers Hospital.  

A service of remembrance celebrating his life will be held 2:00 p.m. Thursday, July 7, 2016 at Byrd Funeral Home in Dothan with Rev. Moody Faulk officiating. Burial will follow in Memory Hill Cemetery under the direction of Byrd Funeral Home on West Main. The family will welcome friends from 1:00-2:00 p.m. Thursday at Byrd Funeral Home. Flowers will be accepted or memorials may be made to Landmark Park, 430 Landmark Dr., Dothan, AL 36302.

Mr. Griffin was born December 3, 1926 in Covington County, Alabama. He was the sixth of eleven children born to Grover Cleveland and Lera Lorene Powell. As a young child he grew up helping his father on their family farm. In 1943, he left home and moved to Mobile to work in the U.S. Navy shipyard to help build ships. It wasn’t long after that he decided to join the Navy. He served on the USS Hector from 1944 until 1946, and in February of 1946 received an Honorable Discharge. Upon discharge, he moved to Dothan and began his life there.

He joined the Headland Avenue Baptist Church April 24, 1949 and was baptized by Brother A.D. Zabender on May 1, 1949.

Mr. Griffin was a successful businessman all of his life. He started the Dothan Vault Company which he ran for many years. He then started Griffin Ditching Service which he ran successfully until he retired. He was the first person in Dothan to own a backhoe and dug many foundations for buildings in Dothan. Being the man that he was, he soon learned retirement wasn’t for him and became a partner in Tri State Plant Food. 

Mr. Griffin was a past member of the Dothan Country Club where he enjoyed playing golf for many years. He was a current member of the Dothan Elks Club, Landmark Park (where he also volunteered his time), and Dothan Woodturners Club.

He enjoyed spending time with his family and friends.  He loved woodworking, spending time in his barn, operating his backhoe, and working on his farm. Mr. Griffin was an extraordinary man that could make or fix anything he put his mind to and had a strong presence in the life of his family. He regularly attended school functions and extra curricular activities of all three great grandchildren; Griffin, Mary Lawrence, and Douglas. He enjoyed them coming to his house and spending time with him, whether it was picking blueberries or taking a ride on his Mule or golf cart. He was a hero to all of them.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Evelyn Griffin; parents, Grover and Lera Griffin; step-grandson, Stuart Sims; and eight siblings.

Mr. Griffin is survived by his son, Doug Griffin of Dothan; two grandchildren, Chera Griffin Lee (Stuart) and Nicole Griffin Wiley, both of Dothan; siblings, Shirley Wiggins of Charlotte, North Carolina and Elsie Gulsby of Ft. Myers, Florida; step-granddaughter, Faith Ann Sims (Bart); great grandchildren, Griffin Bryce Ammons, Mary Lawrence Lee, and Edgar “Douglas” Lee, all of Dothan; step-grandchildren, Courtney Lott, Parker Sims, Alexandra Stone, Isaiah Sims and Kobi Sims, all of Georgia; and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, and special friends.

The family would like to thank Dr. Burton Pfeiffer, as well as the nurses on MICU3 at Flowers Hospital; especially Claudette. We would also like to thank all the nurses and staff on the 3^rd floor of Flowers Hospital; especially Trevor, Joseph, Joshua, and Jennifer. The care and compassion they all showed was beyond extraordinary and we can never thank them enough. 

Serving as pallbearers are Griffin Ammons, Stuart Lee, Craig Griffin, Jeff Wiggins, Byron Ingram and Joe Watson.  

Serving as honorary pallbearers are Billy Baxley, Miles Freeman, Wayne Griffin, and members of the Woodturners Club.

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