Gary Mack "Griff" Griffin

Gary Mack Griffin of Buffalo Gap, TX passed away on August 29, 2021. He was born in Abilene, TX on December 22, 1946 to Carl Francis Griffin and Ida Mae Jones Griffin. A Christian, he was baptized at 9 years old in the Northside Church of Christ by Dr. Frank Pack. He was a member of Boy Scout Troop 2 under Scoutmaster Hugh Colbert. He earned his Eagle Boy Scout award at 14 years old and was a member of Order of the Arrow. He graduated from Cooper High School in 1964; his favorite coach was Bill Voss. He earned Master Degrees from the University of Texas at Tyler and at Texas A&M Commerce.

Visitation and viewing will be held at The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road on Friday, September 3, 2021 from 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm. A Memorial Service will be held at The Church of Heavenly Rest, Episcopal, in Abilene, TX on Sunday September 5, 2021 at 4:00 pm, with a reception directly following the service.  Father David Romanik will be officiating, assisted by JJ Griffin and Oran Rake.

A graveside service will be held at Sunset Memorial Gardens at 11 am on Saturday, September 4, 2021 in Odessa officiated by JJ Griffin. Pallbearers will be the ’64-’68 ASU Ram teammates.

He married Loyce Marleen Sheffield in Odessa in 1976 and they had one son, JJ, the pride of their lives. Gary spent most of his life as a football coach in many high schools and universities across Texas and the USA. He began coaching under his longtime friend and mentor, Spike Dykes. He coached several All State, All Americans and Olympic Athletes. He dearly loved all of his former players and coaching associates. After retiring from coaching, he was a petroleum landman, Bar-B-Q caterer, and storage business owner. For a short time, Griff managed to get by as a gambler in Las Vegas where he was known as “Mr. G” in several casinos.  He earned several nicknames over the years: Redbird, Griff, Big Chief, but his favorite was PawPaw.

Coach Griffin served on the Board of Directors of the Angelo State University Alumni Association and The Big Country Athletic Hall of Fame Board. Every year he hosted the “Ram Reunion” at his Bootstrap 8 Ranch for his beloved Angelo State Ram Teammates. He loved to cook, fish in his pond, and have his friends known as the Bootstrap 8 Coffee Club join him weekly at his ranch for coffee or a meal. Griff had set foot in all 50 States, Mexico, Canada and Europe, and he loved to go on cruises.  

He was a member of the Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest where he served as an usher; he loved God, his family, the Mullets, the Rams and all of his friends.

His parents, his beloved wife, and his mother and father-in-law, Marlin and Jane Sheffield, preceded him in death.  Griffin is survived by his son James Joseph “JJ” Griffin and his wife Trinity, and granddaughter Thomasin    Marlee “Sunshine”  and grandson Jameson Tex Griffin, and his sisters Jo Griffin and Karla Ann Smith both of San Angelo, TX, brother in law Jim and wife Janet Sheffield of Lorena, Texas and sister in law and husband Mary and Jim Lewis of McKinney, TX, several nieces and nephews, brother-friends, Dr. Russell Dressen and Dr. Steve Steed, The Cooper High School Class of 1964, The Mullets, and the Angelo State Rams of ’64-’68.