‘I am the vine; you are the branches….apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5. On his 82nd birthday, January 1, 2018, Dr. Tommy Brewer Griffin went to the place Jesus had prepared for him.
If an obituary of earthly works were going to be written, he wanted the reader to know that apart from Christ, he could do nothing. On January 1, 1936, Tommy was born to Marcus Vann and Elizabeth Brewer Griffin. By the time he was five years old he knew that he was going to be a physician.
After Aiken High School, he graduated cum laude from Davidson College with a BS in Pre-Med Sciences. From a very strong Alpha Omega Alpha Medical School career at the University Of Pennsylvania School Of Medicine, he graduated in 1961.
The Yale University Grace New Haven Hospital was the site of his internship before he moved back south to Chapel Hill for residencies in internal medicine followed by a residency and fellowship in dermatology at North Carolina Memorial Hospital, the University of North Carolina.
He was a Major in the Army Medical Corps during the Vietnam War. His base was in Research and Development at the Letterman General Hospital at the Presidio of San Francisco. Tommy returned to the faculty of the UNC Department of Dermatology.
In 1971 He moved to Spartanburg and opened the second dermatology office (Dr. Paul Cook was the first.) His practice grew with more dermatologists and he retired from Spartanburg Dermatology and Skin Surgery Clinic in 2001.
Patients and their care, teaching in medical settings, and the superbly dedicated staff brought thirty years of great joy in the professional life! Even on his last day he still recognized with a twinkle, his wife, children and grandchildren.
He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Freida Deaton Griffin; sons, Marcus Vann Griffin II, wife, Tracy, grandchildren, Maura and Nathanial, of Dana Point, CA, Thomas Scott Griffin, wife, Suzannah, grandchildren, Thomas and Sarah of Spartanburg, SC; daughter, Dr. Julia G. Girard and husband, Dr. Dhru Girard Griffin and granddaughter, Ava of Rome, GA.
An only child, Tommy completely embraced Freida’s siblings as his own: Nancy and Bennie Ward, Glenda and Don Loftis, Mary Jo and Chick Harvey, Dale and Lawrence Ledbetter and Becky and David Wilkins. Since its founding, All Saints Church, Spartanburg, has been Tommy’s very special church home and family.
Visitation will be 12:30-1:30 PM Saturday, January 6, 2018, at Floyd’s Greenlawn Chapel, 2075 East Main St., Spartanburg, SC 29307, with services following at 2:00 PM in the Chapel.
The Reverend Nowell Copley, Rector and the Reverend Mike Smith, Deacon will be officiating the service. Burial will be in Greenlawn Memorial Gardens, 1300 Fernwood-Glendale Rd., Spartanburg, SC 29307.
Memorial gifts may be considered to Mobile Meals Service, PO Box 461, Spartanburg, SC 29304 or to All Saints Church, Spartanburg, 401 E. Kennedy St. Suite B7, Spartanburg, SC 29302.
The family would like to express their great appreciation to Mary Sipple, his caregiver for over a year, for her love and care.
An online guest register is available at www.floydmortuary.com Floyd’s Greenlawn Chapel
Copyright 2018 Herald-Journal (Spartanburg, SC)