Frank J Griffith

Born on June 25, 1946, in Big Stick, West Virginia to Claude Wesley Griffith and Pauline Prunesti, the family moved to Columbus, Ohio in 1959. If you asked Frank when his birthday was, he would say “six months before Christmas or six months after.”

Drafted during the Vietnam Conflict, Frank served honorably in the U.S. Army with the 9th Aviation Battalion, 9th Infantry Division. His unit was tasked with helicopter rescue missions, bringing downed US troops back to base. He earned the Air Medal (Basic with First Oak Leaf Cluster) for meritorious achievement while participating in more than twenty-five aerial missions over hostile territory in support of counter-insurgency operations. At a time when many didn’t speak of their experiences in Vietnam, Frank was a rare gem in that he was willing and able to talk about the time he spent in-country during the conflict. Despite his battle with dementia, he could still recall the tail number of his Army helicopter from 60 years ago.

A vintage car enthusiast, Frank was never far from his garage where he spent countless hours restoring and building cars from the ground up. He was especially fond of the quintessential American model, the Chevy Corvette. If he wasn’t in the garage, he was probably at a car show or auction looking for his next restoration project.

Not one to sit still, Frank was constantly on the move, even when it came to his employment. Whether he was manufacturing auto parts in a factory or outside repairing local roads and highways for city and state government, he was always using his hands to make, build, or fix something.

Frank is survived by his children, Lisa Brewer, Kim (Danny) Dick, and Mark (Melody) Perry; sister, Armita Savage; niece and caregiver, Tammy Savage; grandchildren, Amanda Griffith, Kenneth Brewer, Ryan Griffith, Amy Stewart, Kristy Harrow, Madison Perry, Hayden Perry; several great-grandchildren; many nieces, nephews and cousins; his uncle, Angelo Prunesti; extended family and friends from the Tuggle, Kilgore, and Meade families; friend and fellow car enthusiast, JD Martin, whom Frank met when he wanted to buy JD’s 1969 Chevy Camaro more than twenty years ago.

Frank was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Linda Sue Tuggle and infant son, Frank James Griffith, Jr.; brothers Claude Wesley Griffith, Jr., Luician Weller Griffith, and Kenneth Randolph Griffith; sister, Peggy Deloris Tuggle; and son-in-law, Kenneth Brewer. Although he and his second wife, Lottie Kilgore, were divorced, she was a loving friend and presence in the family until her passing in 2004.

Burial will be at the Muhlenburg-Darbyville Cemetery, 16905 London Road, Orient, OH 43146.

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