Thomas Griffin

Tom Griffin, 99, of Columbus died peacefully at his home on May 27, 2025. Funeral services will be held on Monday June 2, 2025, at 11:00 am at Annunciation Catholic Church with Father Jeffrey Waldrep officiating. The interment will immediately follow at Friendship Cemetery with military honors. Visitation will be from 10:00 am until service time at Annunciation Catholic Church. Memorial Funeral Home & Crematory is in charge of arrangements.

Thomas Francis Griffin was born on September 10, 1925, in Clogheen, County Tipperary, Ireland to Esther O’Connor Griffin and Thomas Griffin. He was educated in Clogheen and later attended secondary school under the aegis of the Augustinian order in Durgarvan, County Waterford. He moved to London for work and further education in nursing studies before emigrating to the United States in 1947. He lived in New York City and Memphis TN before serving in the United States Army during the Korean conflict.

After leaving the Army, Tom started work at General Motors Acceptance Corporation, and worked in Memphis and Paducah, Kentucky before being transferred to Columbus in 1969. He settled into home, work, and parish life at Annunciation Catholic Church, and lived here happily for 56 years. He retired from GMAC in the early 1980s.

Tom was an active communicant of Annunciation Church for decades, serving as parish council president, music director, RCIA director, finance committee chair, and was a founding member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. He was a proud member of the Knights of Columbus. He served as a member of the Annunciation Catholic School board. Tom loved his church and community and believed firmly in putting that love into action through service.

Tom loved his family and friends and welcomed new people into his life and his home. He had a gift for making people feel included and welcome. He loved company and was a fine singer and raconteur and was as comfortable regaling new friends and old with corny puns as with Shakespearean soliloquies, Gaelic poetry, and traditional Irish tunes. A gifted Irish tenor, he passed on his love of music to all of his progeny.

Tom will be loved and missed by his wife of 46 years, Lenora Margaret DeBroeck Griffin, his children Teresa Fazio (Rich) of Colorado Springs, CO, Susan Griffin (Paul McClelland) of Birmingham, AL, Tommy Griffin (Lisa) of Huntsville, AL, and Patrick Griffin of Columbus. He is survived by nine grandchildren: Angela Fazio-Landrum (Al) and Diana Fazio of San Francisco, CA; Christian Fazio; Rebecca Koon (Seamus Campbell) of Portland, OR; Rachel Koon (Joel Schwartzkopf) of Seattle, WA; Steven Griffin of Alexandria, VA; Scott Griffin of Huntsville, AL; Rebecca Griffin and Ian Griffin of Macedonia, AL; and one great-grandchild, Alex McKanna-Koon, of Portland, OR. He is also survived by one sister, Pauline Scott, of Clogheen, County Tipperary, Ireland.

Tom was predeceased by his late wife, Rose House Griffin; his parents, Thomas and Esther Griffin; brothers Patrick, James, John, Michael, Liam, and Edward Griffin, and sister Elizabeth Walsh.