Mr. John A Griggs

John Archie Griggs came into this world on March 17, 1939, his older brother's 7th birthday. He was born at home, like all of his siblings, in a farm tenant house at Greasy Corner, near Hughes, in Saint Francis County, Arkansas. The majority of his adult life was lived in North Little Rock, AR where he raised his family. A major event occurred in his life in 1944 when he was burned at the age of five. He and three cousins, Thomas, Wayne and Linda Beene, were playing in a cotton storage building while his aunt, Lela Mae Beene, was weighing cotton. Thomas and Wayne escaped out the door, but John and Linda were trapped by the flames. Lela Mae went into the burning building and rescued John and Linda. Linda suffered burns but had on long pants, so they were not as serious as John’s who had on short pants and suffered more serious injury. He did not go to the hospital, but was treated at his grandparent’s home by Dr. Chaffin, the family doctor. Because the more serious burns were on the back of his legs, John would not lay his legs flat and kept his knees bent at an angle. This resulted in both legs growing together at the back of his knees. He was then taken to St Josephs Hospital in Memphis and his legs were surgically straightened. Splints were put on his legs to keep them straight during the healing. The backs of John's legs were almost solid scars and were very noticeable the rest of his life. John started school in Hughes, AR in 1945 and moved to Clarendon, AR, at mid-term in the ninth grade, in 1954, where he lived with his sister, Frances and her family. John became an above average athlete at Clarendon making All District in football as a senior in 1956-57. He also started on the basketball team. However, his best sport was track and field. He was a member of three Arkansas State Class B Championship teams in 1955, 1956 and 1957. He received his first State Blue Ribbon, in 1955, as a sophomore, as a member of the 440 yard relay team. His best year was the 1957 State meet, where he won the 180 yard low hurdles, setting a new Class B State record and tying the overall Arkansas State Record of 20.1 seconds. He also won the 440 yard dash, placed second in the 110 yard high hurdles, and ran on two relay teams. He also served as President of the Clarendon High School Student Council during the 1956-1957 school year. John attended Memphis State University in Memphis, Tennessee on a track scholarship and became a valued member of the team. He was a consistent scorer in the 220 yard low hurdles and the 440 yard dash. His team won the Tennessee Intercollegiate Conference Championship in 1959 with John placing first in the 220 yard low hurdles and second in the 440 yd dash. Because of his record, he was inducted into the Arkansas Track and Field Hall of Fame in 2014. John spent 41 years in the insurance business. Starting as a salesman in 1967, he advanced to Sales Manager, Underwriting Manager and Vice President of Underwriting. In 1984, he joined American Management Corporation, in Morrilton, AR, as Vice President of Administration. Under the direction of owner, Stephen L. Strange, assisted by John, AMC grew in sales from $1.5 million in 1983 to over $100 million in 2003. The company moved to Conway, AR in 1992. He was employed by AMC for 20 years, retiring in 2004 as Executive Vice President. He continued to work for AMC part time for another four years until the company was sold in 2008. John was born the seventh child of David Bryant Griggs and Carrie Eulane Beene Griggs. He was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers, Roger Wayne, David Bryant, Jr and William Bryant Griggs; and three sisters, Betty Joe Griggs Snell (John), Thelma Frances Griggs Lindley (Edward), and Eleanor Lee Griggs Raper (Albert). He was also preceded in death by his grandparents Vernon Archie and Ada Strange Beene of Hughes and John Augustus and Ida Arnold Griggs, of Memphis. He is survived by one sister, Jimmie Carol Houston, of Tupelo, Mississippi; two daughters, Carrie Janice Griggs Archer (Martin) and Stacey Lynn Griggs Matchett (James); four grandchildren, Erica Janice Blair Palludan (Ole Kristoffer), Summer Ballowe Craig, Lila Faith Matchett and Aidan Luke Matchett; and one great grandchild Rylan Sophia Palludan. Visitation will be held at Griffin Leggett Rest Hills Funeral Home on Thursday, October 12, 2017 from 5:00-7:00pm. Funeral service will be held on Friday, October 13, 2017 at 10:00am, also at Griffin Leggett Rest Hills. Burial will follow at Shady Grove Cemetery in Clarendon, AR at 2:00pm. Memorials may be made to Arkansas Hospice, The Salvation Army, or Merchants and Planters Bank, Account for Mary Meins for John Griggs, 297 Madison St., Clarendon, AR 72029. Online guestbook is available at www.griffinleggettresthills.com.