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2023 SESSION


HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 456
Celebrating the life of Bobby F. Griffin.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 24, 2023

 

WHEREAS, Bobby F. Griffin of Bristol, a veteran, entrepreneur, and highly admired community leader, died on February 20, 2023; and

WHEREAS, a lifelong resident of Bristol, Bobby Griffin attended local public schools and enlisted in the United States Army before graduating high school; he deployed to Korea, where he was wounded in action, then returned to the Commonwealth to become a well-known civic and business leader; and

WHEREAS, Bobby Griffin owned coin-operated, high-pressure car washes and self-storage rental units and was involved in advertising and promotional products and real estate development and sales; and

WHEREAS, Bobby Griffin was best known for developing and patenting disposable automobile floor mats, which have been used by dealerships nationwide for decades; and

WHEREAS, Bobby Griffin was a philanthropist who helped establish Second Harvest Food Bank, served on the advisory board of the YWCA Bristol, and was treasurer of Haven of Rest Rescue Mission; he proudly served as a member and leader of the Rotary Club of Bristol for five decades and earned many accolades from the organization, including recognition as a Paul Harris Fellow from Rotary International; and

WHEREAS, Bobby Griffin was a champion for higher education and served on the Board of Visitors of Emory and Henry College and the University of the Cumberlands, the board of Virginia Highlands Community College Foundation and Tennessee Temple University, and the Round Table of King University and as a trustee of Gardner-Webb University; and

WHEREAS, Bobby Griffin enjoyed fellowship and worship with the community for many years at Abingdon United Methodist Church and had more recently attended Celebration Church; he was a co-founder of the Bristol Community Prayer Breakfast in 1999 and served as a co-chair until 2022; and

WHEREAS, Bobby Griffin was well-known in the community for his boundless generosity, unfailing commitment to servant leadership, and his bright and bold fashion sense; and

WHEREAS, predeceased by his wife, Frieda, and one son, David, Bobby Griffin will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by numerous family members and friends; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Delegates hereby note with great sadness the loss of Bobby F. Griffin, a pillar of the Bristol community; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Bobby F. Griffin as an expression of the House of Delegates’ respect for his memory.