Paul Francis Griffin

Paul Francis Griffin was born of humble means in Oklahoma City on April 9th, 1932. At seven years old, Paul's father died, leading his mother to the local Catholic parish for help watching Paul and his brother Dan while she worked for the W.P.A. Paul started working at 10 years old, guarding Oklahoma watermelon patches from crows with a .22 rifle. The glamour of the job did not last, and his homesickness drove the young boy to consider shooting his own toe so he could return home. This was the first of many jobs the "wheeler dealer" Paul held, working continually for 76 years until he retired at 86. Over the years, Paul worked a variety of jobs, but at heart he was always a salesman, proudly becoming a regional sales leader for Top Value Stamps in the 1960s. His sales career led him to many experiences: selling 8-track tapes out of the trunk of his car; owning a carwash and spending a number of years as an active member of a bartering group. Paul found his stride as a professional real estate agent in Oklahoma City, with his wife Joyce running the home office. His real estate talents led Paul to his last job, a role as a real estate appraiser for OK County, Paul served in the Marines from 1954 to 1956 stationed at Camp Pendleton, CA. At one point he took part in atomic weapons testing in the southwest, recalling the intense light and blast of the atomic bomb.Paul was a proud graduate of Oklahoma State University, with a degree in Marketing. He continued to support the Cowboys his entire life. He joked that he couldn't "carry a tune in a bucket," but he wept every time he heard "Ave Maria," and paid for piano lessons and supported kids and grandkids through decades of in-tune and out-of-tune music rehearsals, recitals, and family jams.Paul loved to travel. Having seen much of Oklahoma and the country, he decided that he had to visit all 50 U.S. states. An early family vacation took care of Hawaii and the novelty of eating fish other than fried catfish! He logged his final state in the summer of 2019 with a trip to Alaska, where he was able to visit Glacier Bay and take a small plane flight to the peak of Denali. Paul's main love and focus of his life was his family. Paul and Joyce's home was open to all, and many of his children's friends considered Paul to be a 2nd father in their lives. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife Joyce and his older brother Dan. He is survived by his large and loving family, sister-in-law Paula Griffin, children, Cathy (Robert) Baird, Stephen (Sheryl) Griffin, and Teresa (David) Smith, 7 grandchildren and 4 great – grandchildren. Paul was a man who had more than he ever thought he would, and he was grateful for it every single day. A funeral mass will be held at 10:30 am on Thursday, January 26, 2023, at Epiphany of the Lord Catholic Church, 7336 W Britton Road, Oklahoma City, OK. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the American Lung Association.