Obituary of James O'Neal Griffin

James O’Neal “Jimmy” Griffin, 61, husband to Kathy “Kat” (née McConnell) Griffin, went to be with the Lord on Monday, August 16, 2021, from his home in Beaufort, South Carolina, surrounded by family.

Born in Memphis, Tennessee, to the late Wilbur Floyd Griffin and Emma Faye (née Wiggington) Griffin on December 17, 1959, Jimmy was raised in Eudora, Mississippi, alongside his extensive and ever-growing family.

A 15-year employee for the City of Memphis as a truck driver, park commission employee, and crew chief for their sanitation department, Jimmy was a hardworking man with many interests and a big heart. Jimmy loved movies, music, cats, Halloween, classic cars (he turned his 1980 Ford Pinto into a “hot rod”) – and took great pride in his Native American heritage. Above all else, however, Jimmy was a devoted husband and – most importantly – a loving father.

His children (biological and adopted) include Jennifer Leigh Johnson, Kathie Ann Downs, Samuel Bartholow McConnell, Denise Marie Ballard, Sara Austin, Rachel Griffin-Tankersley, and Elizabeth “Libby” Kerry Griffin. He also served as Godfather to Melissa Glass Manard, Spencer Lee Thibodeau, Jr., Danielle Harris, Stephanie Tye, Jodi Wilson, Jessica Heldenbrand, Mara Jenkins, and Mikayla Summermere. Jimmy also had two sisters, a nephew and a niece, an aunt and an uncle, and several cousins.

To anyone who knew him, Jimmy was a father figure. He was a strong man who would do anything for his family despite his gentle, teasing nature: he often used to say, “If I didn’t pick on you, then you wouldn’t know I love you.”

Stubborn as he may have been, Jimmy was always supportive of his large family in the face of lengthy illnesses and occasional struggles. Kat, his dear wife, says the best way to describe him was love. “He taught me [and so many others] that [we were] worthy of being loved,” she wrote in a recent note. “He was all my hopes and dreams fulfilled.”

The family will continue to celebrate his life and remember him daily. The honor of serving the family during this difficult time was by Simplicity Lowcountry Cremation & Burial Services in Bluffton, South Carolina. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you look out for one another and exhibit love in all ways possible – just like Jimmy would do.