Jerry Griffin Obituary

Jerry Blane Griffin of Yorktown passed away on March 30, 2025, after a short but intense battle with cancer.Jerry was a native of Pulaski, Tennessee. After graduation from high school, Jerry enlisted in the U. S. Coast Guard. Jerry's 26 year career in the Coast Guard took him around the world. As a MK3, he was selected as one of four Coastguardsmen to attend the Navy's nuclear machinist mate schools. This was due to the Coast Guard's construction of then-new nuclear icebreakers. To his disappointment, halfway through the school the Coast Guard decided not to use nuclear energy to power the icebreakers. After graduation, Jerry was sent to the USCGC CHATAUQUA. The ship was located in Hawaii and being transferred to Norfolk, VA. Within 12 hours of his arrival in Norfolk, he was flown to Hawaii and didn't return home until six months later. The CHATAUQUA's mission was to do weather patrols in the North Atlantic. Jerry had many tales of long deployments, cold weather, and sleeping in the engine room for privacy and warmth. His next duty station was Reserve Training Center Yorktown where he was a jack of all trades: CO's chauffer, substitute telephone operator, mail clerk, and plumber. Following Yorktown, Jerry was assigned to the USCGC KENNEBEC, a new construction tender, in Atlantic Beach, North Carolina. Jerry loved sailing on the KENNEBEC and its mission of building Aids to Navigation. Next came Marine Safety Office (MSO) Memphis, Tennessee, another job that Jerry loved. Going to work in the morning was an adventure because so many country music stars' road buses went though Memphis on their tours. You never knew when you might see Charlie Daniels driving one of his trucks on I-40. MSO Memphis was a close-knit unit and many shipmates there remain friends today. Following MSO Memphis was Port Security School at now Training Center Yorktown. Another tight group of shipmates making a difference in the quality of training given to Coast Guard Reserves. Jerry was promoted to Chief Petty Officer at the end of this tour of duty. He was transferred to LORAN Station Gesashi in Okinawa, Japan for a year. Upon completion of that tour, he again served on the USCGC KENNEBEC as the Engineering Chief Petty Officer now out of Portsmouth, VA. His final duty station was, for the third time, Training Center Yorktown where as a Senior Chief Petty Officer (SCPO) he served as the Senior Instructor (Staff) for the Machinery Technician School.
After retirement from military service, Jerry accepted a position as a maintenance manager at Indian Head Detachment at Naval Weapons Station. There he became an expert on working on old and unique equipment supporting the research and development effort. Jerry then accepted a job as the Range Training Coordinator for the base, much to the terror of Marines who did not clean up their brass.
Jerry loved to hunt, fish, run his rabbit dogs, garden, create scenarios for his train sets, and collect vintage oil and vinegar cruets. He was a member of the American Legion, the SHABU hunt club and a trustee at his church. He also served as the head of buildings and grounds at church and is credited with saving the church thousands of dollars in repair costs.
Jerry is survived by his wife, Kay Busbin Griffin, daughter Bonnie Wright (Caleb), grandchildren Karsyn and Thomas J, sister-in-law Donna Busbin, a sister, four aunts and numerous cousins, and his best friend Patrick Clayton. He was preceded in death by an infant brother, his parents Sam and Opal Griffin, and his in-laws, Ed and Barbara Busbin, who were like second parents to him.
Visitation will be held at Amory Funeral Home in Grafton from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, April 4, 2025. A service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 5, at Yorktown Baptist Church in Yorktown, followed by burial at Peninsula Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made in Jerry's memory to Yorktown Baptist Church, 237 Nelson St, Yorktown, VA 23690, or to the American Cancer Society.