Willie Faire Brooks Griffin

She was born on November 4, 1928, in Union County to the late J. Boyce and Ruby Lee Price Brooks, and grew up in the Fairview and Faulks Church communities with siblings Marseline (Foard), Hilton, and Max. She was President of her Senior Class at Fairview High School. She graduated from Wingate College, where she played on the basketball team. She married Billy Parks Griffin of Marshville in 1947, moving to Charlotte, where they raised their girls, Donna and Linda, on Tuckaseegee Rd., and later in Mint Hill. She and her family lived on Lawyers Rd. for over 50 years.

Willie was a traditional homemaker until her girls left home, when she took a position with Cuddy Farms in Wingate as a bookkeeper. She was a loving and supportive wife to Bill, and a dedicated mother to her girls, enjoying cooking delicious, colorful meals, and always looking for new recipes. She was a good neighbor, even providing daily child care and an alternate ‘home’ for Mike and Tommy, which swelled the number of kids in the house to four active, sometimes mischievous members. She handled these challenges with a practical mindset, positive disposition, and a strong desire for peace among all. Over the years, she was always assisting neighbors, whether giving them fresh vegetables, a bouquet of camellias, or a regular ride to the grocery store.

She was always up for watching a good game of basketball, especially the Tar Heels, or for an Atlanta Braves baseball game, depending on who was pitching. Willie was a member of her Canasta Club for 42 years, where she played with some of her dearest friends.

Willie is survived by her siblings and daughters, and Donna’s husband Tim Hunter and their daughters Emily and Jennifer. Willie loved her granddaughters dearly, enjoying both their company and accomplishments. She will be dearly missed by her family and friends.

A service celebrating Willie’s life will be held on Thurs., March 24, at McEwen’s in Mint Hill, with a 1 PM visitation before the 2PM Service. Family will also receive friends after the service. Interment will follow in Sunset Memory Gardens, Mint Hill, NC.

Donations may be made to the Alzheimers Association, www.alznc.org or to the Hickory Grove Baptist Church-Main Campus, 6050 Hickory Grove Rd., Charlotte, NC 28215

Arrangements by McEwen Funeral Service-Mint Hill Chapel.