James Scott Griffin's Obituary
James Scott (Jim) Griffin, age 78, passed away Wednesday, March 2nd 2016 at home in Lakewood, Washington. He was born March 3rd, 1937 in Tacoma, Washington to Nancy Mathewson Spaeth and Edwin Lewis Griffin. His grandfather was a Tacoma pioneer who founded the Griffin Ice Company, Griffin Fuel Company, and Griffin Transfer Company in the late 1880s. Jim graduated from Clover Park High School in 1955 and then attended Stanford University, graduating in 1959 with a B.A. in both Philosophy and Religion. While at Stanford he played on the tennis team as well as participating on the ski team in every event, including Nordic jumping and the biathlon. Griffin was also a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity, where he made many of his life-long friends.
He spent most of his career as a real estate developer, founding Alpental Ski Resort, the Bank of Honolulu (Hawaii), the Bank of Tacoma, Thurston County Bank, and the Lakewood Racquet Club. He has lectured on the development of suburban office and warehouse parks, and written articles for real estate and financial publications. In 1982 he published a book titled, How to Make Money in Commercial Land.
Griffin was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in 1986 by then Governor Booth Gardner. In 1988, he was appointed to the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the Seattle Organizing Committee for the 1990 Goodwill Games. And in 1996 then Governor Mike Lowery appointed Griffin as Vice Chairman to the Board of Directors of the Washington State Convention and Trade Center.
Griffin was an avid athlete and outdoorsman, and loved nothing better than to play tennis, golf, ski, hunt or fish with this family. He was an adventurous and competitive spirit, which induced him to fly seaplanes and swim with killer whales alongside his brother Ted Griffin, of Namu fame, as well as to race in the off road BAHA 500 (placing 3rd) and 1000.
As an active member of his community, Griffin had been chairman of the board of Greater Lakes Mental Healthcare Center, a founding member of the Lakewood Community Center and the Lakewood Community Council, was on the boards of the Tacoma Art Museum and Pantages, and was also co-chair of the Tacoma Art Museum’s $25 million capital campaign in 1998 with his wife Wendy. In 2011 Griffin published a memoir, More Than Luck, dedicated to his grandchildren.
Jim is survived by his wife Wendy of 56 years, sons Scott (Alicia), Sterling (Katrina), Whitney (Gretchen), daughter Ashley, and fourteen grandchildren. A celebration of his life will be held on March 26, 2016 at 4pm at the Tacoma Country and Golf Club. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to be made to Greater Lakes Mental Healthcare or the Tacoma Art Museum.
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