Richard Ward Griffis

Mr. Richard Ward Griffis, 76, of Aiken, died August 31, 2013 at Trinity Hospital in Augusta, GA. A Requiem Mass will be celebrated on Friday, September 6, 2013 at 9am at St. Mary Help of Christians Catholic Church, Aiken. Due to "Aiken's Makin", you are encouraged to park in the George Funeral Home parking lot and walk to the church. The Family will receive friends on Thursday evening, 6-8pm at GEORGE FUNERAL HOME & CREMATION CENTER, 211 Park Ave. SW Aiken. Interment will be private and memorial donations may be directed to the M D Anderson Thoracic Research.

A son of the late Richard Griffis and Helen Fleming Griffis, he was born in Delphos, OH. After serving in the US Army, he graduated from Ohio State University in 1963 and then began a career in the automotive industry as a production control specialist. He was a member of the American Inventory Industrial Society. Retiring from the John Crane Group in 2000, he moved to Aiken with his wife, Nancy.

Richard was an avid golfer and played "all the big courses". Once retired, he began working as a caddy at The Augusta National Golf Club, the Sage Valley Golf Club and the Woodside Plantation Reserve Club. He was a former communicant of St. John The Baptist Church, Delphos, OH and currently was a communicant of St. Mary Help of Christians Catholic Church, Aiken.

In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by a brother, David Griffis and a sister, Frances Lynn Davis.

He is survived by his wife, Nancy E. (Weber) Griffis, Aiken, SC; three daughters, Margaret Griffis, Asheville, NC, Catherine Bergwall (Drew), Suwannee, GA and Mary Hall (George), Palm Harbor, FL; a brother, J. Craig Griffis, Toledo, OH; two sisters, Helen Diane Youngpeter, Ft. Wayne, IN and Terri Elaine Massa, Columbus, OH and six grandchildren, Alec Hall, Ian Hall, Nathan Hall, Riley Hall, Charlie Bergwall and Bitsy Bergwall.