Bob was born on July 29, 1942 to James and Mary Griggs in Corsicana, TX, and was the youngest of six
children. Shortly after his birth his father died of pneumonia, and his mother took Bob and his siblings
to an orphanage. Despite being raised in this difficult environment with no parents to learn from, somehow Bob became a deeply loving, caring, and God-fearing man who would go on to model what a
husband and father should be to his wife and children.
After graduating from high school, Bob attended Tarleton State University until a knee injury ended his
football career. In October 1966, Bob met Nina Eckert while working in an armored car at Wells Fargo.
They fell in love almost instantly, were married in September 1967, and were lifelong partners. Bob and
Nina had two sons, Byron and Kevin.
Bob was determined to provide for his family and give them the life he felt they deserved. His love of
God and his family meant more to him than anything else in the world, something he often mentioned.
He was the type of man who never missed an opportunity to tell his wife or his children how much he loved them, and his sense of humor was infectious to everyone around him. He taught his sons how to
be men, husbands, and fathers – not necessarily with his words but in how he treated his wife, his family, and his friends. When Byron married Michelle and Kevin married Maria, Bob treated his two new daughters as his own, and often mentioned how blessed he was to have both of them in his life. Later in life, he looked at his grandchildren Allison, Mark and Brett Griggs and Regan Shatto with pride and admiration, and cared for them deeply with the type of love only a grandfather could have.
Aside from his family, Bob loved his job. He began working as a salesman in the Laundry and Dry Cleaning industry in 1969 and continued that career throughout his life. Most of his stories while sitting
around the dinner table would start with either “I was talking to a customer today…” or “I heard on the
radio…”
Anyone who knew Bob knew that he was a loving and dedicated husband, father, grandfather, salesman, and friend. He was active in his athletic community in DeSoto through coaching and umpiring, and was loved by many. He was preceded in death by his mother Mary, his father James, his brothers Jim and Tommy, his sisters Helen, Leona, and Jodi, and his granddaughter Allison. He is survived by his wife and best friend Nina, his children Byron, Michelle, Kevin, Maria, and Felicia, and his grandchildren Mark, Regan, Brett, Neal, Christopher, Lisa, and Joshua.
The family requests that all flowers and notes be sent to Laurel Land Funeral Home in Dallas, TX. There
will be a visitation on Thursday June 10, 2021 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM, and a funeral service on Friday
June 11, 2021 at 12:00 PM at Laurel Land. During his life, Bob taught many lessons, but the most important are these: love your wife like she is the only person in the world, show your children and
grandchildren how proud you are of them and how much they mean to you, and always check your oil.
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